Three Yarmouth County fishermen were handed hefty fines in Yarmouth Provincial Court yesterday.
In January, 2017, a video was posted to social media by a crew-member of the fishing vessel ‘ The Relentess’ of fishermen taunting a baby seal onboard.
The seal was eventually killed, and the video created public backlash.
Charges were laid by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans after an investigation.
The vessel’s captain, Mark Allen MacKenzie of Lower Argyle was given a $7,500 fine and a six month ban on groundfishing beginning next January 1st.
Jay Alexander Jenkins of Rockville was fined $3,500 and Brendan Douglas James Porter of East Pubnico was handed a $2,500 fine.
The three men plead guilty to charges under the Federal Fisheries Act that deal with the safe return to the ocean of incidentially caught fish and marine animals.