Commercial Fishers Fined $4,000 For Not Paying Royalties

[Mike]

Sun, Feb/26/06

WINDSOR — A Windsor commercial fishing company and a Leamington commercial fisherman were each fined $2,000 for failing to pay royalties on time for fish caught in 2005.

Court heard that Favignana Fishing Company Limited and Steven Getty, 48, failed to pay the royalties on their fish catches within the time frames set out in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.

A commercial fish licence holder is responsible for paying a royalty of 3.3 percent of the landed value of the fish caught under a licence. Under an agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ontario Commercial Fisheries Association records all fish harvested and sold under each commercial licence. The association calculates the royalty and issues invoices to commercial fishers four times a year. Payment is due within 30 days of receiving the invoice. The royalty is paid to the Ministry of Natural Resources Special Purpose Account and is used to help manage Ontario’s commercial fishery and fisheries assessment programs.

Justice of the Peace Murphy heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Windsor, on February 20, 2006.