A man in Salmon Arm has managed to reel himself in a lengthy fishing ban for the second time.
According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Frederick Stanley Kent was found guilty in provincial court of fishing while prohibited and for the unlawful possession of fish last December.
The incident dates back to August of 2019, when conservation officers spotted the 61-year-old fishing in the Shuswap River from a bridge near Grindrod.
Officers were aware the Enderby resident was already serving a fishing ban from violations in 2015 when he was found guilty of 13 charges related to illegal fishing in the Shuswap River.
The charges included illegal possession of fish, foul-hooking fish, molesting fish, exceeding the monthly quota for adult Chinook salmon, failing to record his catch and making a misleading statement to a fishery officer.
Kent was found guilty a second time following a trial last December where the court heard he caught three chinook salmon while prohibited.
He argued that he didn't understand what "prohibition" meant when asked about his 2015 conviction.
As a result, Kent was ordered to forfeit his fishing equipment, fined $1,500 and given another five-year fishing ban.
"(The) protection of these fragile fish stocks is important in ensuring survival of the species, and it is the hope that the sentencing for this case will serve as a deterrent to others who consider abusing this resource," B.C. Provincial Court Judge George Leven said, according to the release.
The Lower Shuswap River is only open to Fraser chinook salmon fishing for four weeks per year with strict quotas are in place.
