PORT AUX BASQUES, Newfoundland,
March 2, 2006 - Three men from Newfoundland
were sentenced in Provincial court on February
28th, 2006, for offences under the federal
Migratory Birds Convention Act.
Clifford George Dingwell, 60 years old,
was charged with three counts under Section
12 (1) of the Migratory Bird Regulations
for selling (or offering to sell) migratory
birds, namely Turrs. He was fined $1,300
and received three years of probation, during
which time he is not allowed to apply for
or use a migratory bird permit; is prohibited
from hunting or being in the company of
anyone hunting migratory birds; and is not
allowed to own, possess or consume any Turrs
on his property. In addition, a 20-foot
fibreglass boat, two outboard motors, three
shotguns, a quantity of shotgun ammunition
as well as a number of other items seized
associated with the investigation, were
forfeited to the Crown.
Darrell J. Neil, 32 years old, was charged
with two counts under Section 12 (1) of
the Migratory Bird Regulations for the illegal
trading of migratory birds. He received
a $500 fine and two years of probation with
the same conditions as Mr. Dingwell.
Dennis G. Stone, 36 years old, received
a suspended sentence for a violation under
Section 12 (1) of the Migratory Bird Regulations
for the illegal trading of migratory birds
and one year of probation with the same
conditions as Mr. Dingwell.
These charges were laid as the result of
a three-year investigation led by Environment
Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service into
the illegal hunting, selling and trading
of migratory birds on the Southwest coast
of Newfoundland.
The investigation was a joint operation
with the Newfoundland and Labrador Department
of Natural Resources. The individuals were
apprehended in April 2005 with the assistance
of officers from the Newfoundland and Labrador
Department of Natural Resources, the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police and Fisheries and
Oceans Canada, Newfoundland Region.
