A British Columbia property owner received two massive fines for illegally dredging a creek on their property to try to prevent flooding.
The man, George Winkler, had been warned by a Fisheries and Oceans Canada officer in May 2020 to stop excavating the bed of Stephens Creek, according to a June report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. After a second complaint was filed in November 2021, fisheries officers and biologists visited the area and found 80 salmon eggs had been destroyed, per a news release.
Winkler pleaded guilty in Sechelt Provincial Court in October, and his fines totaled $70,000. The charges, levied under Canada's Fisheries Act, were activities other than fishing that result in death to fish and harmful alteration or disruption or destruction of fish habitat.
"An environmental impact statement submitted to the Provincial Court outlined that Mr. Winkler's actions could have completely eliminated the 2021 salmon run from Stephens Creek, which was already seeing some of the lowest historical returns of chum salmon to the mainland Inlets and Strait of Georgia," according to the release. "His actions will also likely adversely affect salmon production in Stephens Creek for years to come."
Judge Steven Merrick said each of the $35,000 fines was the result of Winkler's disregard for the law, and the CBC reported he warned that a future similar violation by anyone would earn a sanction of $50,000 to $100,000.
Such penalties are necessary to fund any needed remediation and deter would-be violators and those who have offended from doing so again, especially since people whose property includes protected habitat or wildlife may be able to absorb even large fines.
A U.K. millionaire, for example, who committed similar illegal acts as Winkler for the same reason spent time in jail and was fined £1.3 million ($1.67 million). That apparently was not enough of a deterrent in his case, as he was fined (a small amount) for a similar but lesser offense barely a year later, but local news of his penalties made waves.
With the natural world under siege from human-caused rising temperatures, we need the wealthy, powerful corporations, and elected officials to protect flora, fauna, and land that cannot speak for itself.
These crimes were the result of desires to protect property from flooding, which is concerning as well; droughts and rainfall events alike are becoming more frequent and intense because of our warming world.
Dredging, however, is not the answer. On a small scale, solutions such as rain gardens, rain barrels, and native plants can be effective, while larger projects may need the input of local organizations or government.
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