SL Dried Seafood Co. Ltd - conviction information for 2021-08-31
| Corporation name: | SL Dried Seafood Co. Ltd |
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| Address: | 17 Greystone Rd |
| City: | Markham |
| Province/territory: | Ontario |
| Postal code: | L3R 7P4 |
| Country: | Canada |
| Sector or industry: | 413 - Food, beverage and tobacco merchant wholesalers |
| Location of offense: | CBSA Container Examination Facility in Burnaby, British Columbia, and Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Burnaby, British Columbia |
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| Case summary: |
On 28 May 2018, Wildlife Enforcement Officers from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Pacific and Yukon Region carried out an inspection at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Container Examination Facility in Burnaby, British Columbia. The shipment under review had originated in Hong Kong and was destined for S L Dried Seafood Co. Ltd., located in Richmond Hill, Ontario. During the inspection, officers identified one box containing twenty-nine (29) shark fins and thirteen (13) bags of assorted shark fin cartilage fragments, each weighing approximately 25 kilograms. The shipment lacked a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) permit, prompting concerns regarding the legality of the import. Consequently, the shark products were detained for species identification. DNA analysis confirmed the presence of multiple shark species, including three listed under CITES: Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini), and Smooth Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna zygaena). The importation of fins and cartilage from these CITES-listed species without the necessary permit constitutes a violation of Subsection 6(2) of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA). The shipment was traced to S L Dried Seafood Co. Ltd., which was held responsible for the unlawful import. Based on the aforementioned and the results of the investigation, S L Dried Seafood Co. Ltd. was formally charged with violating the provisions of WAPPRIITA. |
| Charges: |
Count 2 S L Dried Seafood Corporation Limited, Ontario Corporation Number 2311425, did between April 26th and May 29th, 2018 inclusive, in the City of Burnaby, British Columbia, and Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, import into Canada an animal or any part thereof listed in Schedule I of the Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations, to wit: Sphyrna lewini, commonly known as scalloped hammerhead shark, other than in accordance with a permit issued pursuant to Section 10(1) of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA), contrary to Section 6(2) of WAPPRIITA, and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Section 22(1) of WAPPRIITA. |
| Enforcement notification: | Ontario-based trading company fined $60,000 for illegally importing fins of threatened shark species |
| Result: | Guilty Plea |
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| Date of conviction: | 2021-08-31 |
| Court level: | Provincial and Territorial Court |
| Nature of offense(s): |
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| Additional details about the nature of the offense: |
| Act | Regulations | Section(s) |
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| Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act | 6(2) |
| Date of sentencing: |
2021-08-31 |
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| Location of sentencing: | Newmarket, Ontario |
| Sentence(s): |
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| Amount of fine(s): | $60,000 |
| Sentencing details: |
On 31 August 2021, S L Dried Seafood Co. Ltd. appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket, Ontario, and entered a guilty plea to a charge under Subsection 6(2) of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA). The Court imposed a fine of $60,000, which was directed to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund. In addition to the fine, the Court issued a Prohibition Order under Subsection 22.12(1) of WAPPRIITA, containing two conditions: - Under Paragraph (a), the company and its owner were prohibited from importing or exporting any species listed under CITES for a period of one year. - Under Paragraph (l), the company and its owner were prohibited from applying for any new permits under WAPPRIITA during the same one-year period. |