Newfoundland and Labrador Wildlife Federation President Rick Bouzan Charged with Salmon Poaching. Alleged to have been caught with untagged salmon on North Harbour River
By Terry Roberts, CBC News – Newfoundland
[dropcap]R[/dropcap]ick Bouzan, a well-known wildlife conservation advocate in Newfoundland and Labrador, has been charged with possession of untagged salmon, CBC News has learned.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans confirmed Wednesday that Bouzan has been charged under the Wildlife Act.
Bouzan is president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Wildlife Federation, and has been a vocal advocate for wildlife protection and sustainable hunting and fishing.
DFO would not provide any details of the incident that led to the charges, but CBC News has learned that Bouzan was apprehended while angling in North Harbour River, St. Mary’s Bay, in late August or early September.
Sources say Bouzan is a lifelong angler with intimate knowledge of the rules that regulate salmon angling.
CBC News has left multiple phone messages for Bouzan in recent days, but they have not been returned.
Earlier conviction
This is not Bouzan’s first brush with the law.
He was also charged, and eventually convicted, with having untagged cod during the recreational food fishery in 2004.
Bouzan has been at the forefront of numerous wildlife and conservation issues over the years, including a successful campaign to halt clear-cutting along the Main River on Newfoundland’s west coast.
More recently, he spoke out against cuts to the number of wildlife officers in the province.
He has also been honoured by the province for his volunteer work and dedication to the environment.
NOTE: Featured Image is of the Matapedia River at spawning time (photo Charles Cusson/ASF).
