Prince Rupert man fined $7,500 for possessing endangered northern abalone

A Prince Rupert man was convicted and fined $7,500 in Prince Rupert Provincial Court on Aug. 5 after being caught with 10 northern abalone, an endangered species whose possession is prohibited under Canada's Species at Risk Act.

Caylin James Holland was found in possession of the shellfish following a tip to Fisheries and Oceans Canada from the Metlakatla Fishery Guardians, DFO said in a news release dated Oct. 26. The Guardians alerted DFO on Sept. 8, 2025, after suspecting harvesters fishing near Metlakatla — about five kilometres north of Prince Rupert — may have taken northern abalone.

Fishery officers located Holland as a result of the tip. The 10 abalone were seized and later returned alive to suitable habitat, DFO said.

Northern abalone has been listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act, meaning it is considered to face imminent extirpation or extinction. The commercial fishery was closed completely in 1990 after populations along the British Columbia coast declined sharply due to overharvesting. DFO said illegal harvesting and possession remain among the greatest ongoing threats to the species' recovery.

The mollusks are particularly vulnerable because they move slowly and can be picked by hand from rocky shorelines exposed at low tide, DFO said.

Under the Species at Risk Act, no person may possess, collect, buy, sell or trade an individual of a listed endangered species or any part of one.

DFO said anyone with information about suspected fisheries violations can call the Pacific Region's toll-free reporting line at 1-800-465-4336 or email DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.