WINDSOR, Ont. -- An Edmonton trucking firm and its Markham, Ont.-based driver have been fined a total of $75,000 for trying to bring live Asian carp into Ontario.
Alltheway Trucking and Yong-Sheng Zhang were each found guilty under the federal Fisheries Act, of possessing live invasive fish, according to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The bulk of the fine, $70,000, was assessed to the trucking company.
On Jan. 25 2012, a truck from Alltheway Trucking was stopped at the Ambassador Bridge and found to be carrying grass and bighead carp from Arkansas. Some of the grass carp were still alive, leading to the seizure of all the fish.
On Feb. 28, the same driver and same trucking company were again stopped at the border as they attempted to bring a load of carp - some still alive - into Canada.
This time, the truck was also confiscated, and held until all the carp had died. The Ontario Court of Justice in Windsor handed down the fine today.
“It has been illegal to possess live invasive fish, including bighead, grass, black and silver carp, in Ontario since 2005 because of the significant threat they pose to the province’s lake systems,” the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a release. “As part of the ongoing efforts to protect Ontario’s environment from the importation of invasive species, the Ministry of Natural Resources will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to monitor compliance with the legislation.”
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