Fogo Island Co-operative Society Limited to Pay $2,500 Penalty for Disposal at Sea Violations

July 20, 2010

St. John’s, N.L. -- Fogo Island Co-operative Society Limited pleaded guilty to charges of improperly loading fish waste onto a vessel for the purposes of disposal at sea during a sentencing hearing in Newfoundland and Labrador provincial court in St. John’s on July 20, 2010.

The company was ordered to pay a $2,500 penalty for disposal at sea violations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act,1999. 

A number of inspections carried out by Environment Canada over the past two years at the company’s processing facility in Fogo found that conditions of the Disposal at Sea permit issued by Environment Canada were not being met.  Specifically, the company failed to cover the waste material while the vessel was being loaded to prevent access by seagulls, and it failed to load the waste material in a manner that ensured no material entered the sea except at the designated disposal site.

On March 9, 2010, Environment Canada laid charges against the Fogo Island Co-operative Society Limited for contravening section 124 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 by loading fish offal for the purpose of disposal in Canadian waters contrary to the conditions of their permit.

The court ordered that $ 2,000 of the penalty will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund and $500 is a fine to be paid to the court.

For more information, please click here.