Eating receipt to block probe costs Canada seafood company owner $25,000, officials say
Canadian seafood company Tenishi Seafood Limited has found itself in hot water after its co-owner attempted to obscure a government inspection by eating evidence — a receipt, government officials said in a statement.
The Richmond, British Columbia, company was also fined $75,000 after officials observed illegal activity during a routine inspection in 2018, which included witnessing a man driving away with what appeared to be a crab crate inside the car.
“Once inside the plant, the owner, and some staff, actively obstructed the fishery officer from conducting an inspection, would not answer questions, failed to provide the necessary paperwork, weights or volume figures from the previous sale, and attempted to destroy evidence,” the statement said. “Several undersized crabs were found discarded in the processing plant.”
Co-owner Dishi Liu was difficult with agents during the inspection and in addition to not handing over the proper paperwork that detailed the source of the crabs in the facility, she attempted to obscure the probe by eating a receipt, the statement said.
“That’s a serious offense,” Fisheries and Oceans detachment commander for Fraser coastal Jason Guno told CBC. “The fisheries industry is regulated and all entities have to abide by the conditions and one of them is to assist with the regulatory nature of the industry.”
The court ordered the company to pay over $100,000, which includes a $10,000 fine to the master of the “Dream Chaser” vessel, Thomas Nguyen, for obstructing a fishery officer.
“The significant fines, and published acknowledgment of the violations that occurred, underscores the seriousness of violating fishing rules and regulations under Canada’s ‘Fisheries Act’ intended to protect Canada’s economic sovereignty and preserve at-risk fish populations,” the statement said.