Fisheries Act

Marginal note:Offence and punishment

• 40 (1) Every person who contravenes subsection 35(1) is guilty of an offence and liable

  • (a) on conviction on indictment,

    • (i) in the case of an individual,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $15,000 and not more than $1,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $30,000 and not more than $2,000,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or to both,

    • (ii) in the case of a person, other than an individual or a corporation referred to in subparagraph (iii),

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $500,000 and not more than $6,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $1,000,000 and not more than $12,000,000, and

    • (iii) in the case of a corporation that the court has determined to be a small revenue corporation,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $75,000 and not more than $4,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $150,000 and not more than $8,000,000; or

  • (b) on summary conviction,

    • (i) in the case of an individual,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $300,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $10,000 and not more than $600,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both,

    • (ii) in the case of a person, other than an individual or a corporation referred to in subparagraph (iii),

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $100,000 and not more than $4,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $200,000 and not more than $8,000,000, and

    • (iii) in the case of a corporation that the court has determined to be a small revenue corporation,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $25,000 and not more than $2,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $50,000 and not more than $4,000,000.

• Marginal note:Offence and punishment

  (2) Every person who contravenes subsection 36(1) or (3) is guilty of an offence and liable

  • (a) on conviction on indictment,

    • (i) in the case of an individual,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $15,000 and not more than $1,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $30,000 and not more than $2,000,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or to both,

    • (ii) in the case of a person, other than an individual or a corporation referred to in subparagraph (iii),

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $500,000 and not more than $6,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $1,000,000 and not more than $12,000,000, and

    • (iii) in the case of a corporation that the court has determined to be a small revenue corporation,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $75,000 and not more than $4,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $150,000 and not more than $8,000,000; or

  • (b) on summary conviction,

    • (i) in the case of an individual,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $300,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $10,000 and not more than $600,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both,

    • (ii) in the case of a person, other than an individual or a corporation referred to in subparagraph (iii),

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $100,000 and not more than $4,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $200,000 and not more than $8,000,000, and

    • (iii) in the case of a corporation that the court has determined to be a small revenue corporation,

      • (A) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $25,000 and not more than $2,000,000, and

      • (B) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than $50,000 and not more than $4,000,000.

• Marginal note:Small revenue corporation status

  (2.1) For the purpose of subsections (1) and (2), a court may determine a corporation to be a small revenue corporation if the court is satisfied that the corporation’s gross revenues for the 12 months immediately before the day on which the subject matter of the proceedings arose — or, if it arose on more than one day, for the 12 months immediately before the first day on which the subject matter of the proceedings arose — were not more than $5,000,000.

• Marginal note:Relief from minimum fine

  (2.2) The court may impose a fine that is less than the minimum amount provided for in subsection (1) or (2) if it is satisfied, on the basis of evidence submitted to the court, that the minimum fine would cause undue financial hardship. The court shall provide reasons if it imposes a fine that is less than the minimum amount provided for in either of those subsections.

• Marginal note:Other offences

  (3) Every person who

  • (a) in carrying on a work, undertaking or activity, fails to comply with a prescribed condition of an authorization under paragraph 35(2)(a) or (c), with a condition established by the Minister under paragraph 35(2)(b), or with a condition set out in the regulations or established under any other authorization issued under this Act,

  • (a.1) fails to provide any material or information as requested by the Minister under subsection 37(1) or (1.1) within a reasonable time after the request is made,

  • (b) fails to provide or submit any material, information or report that is to be provided or submitted under regulations made pursuant to subsection 37(3),

  • (c) fails to provide notification that he or she is required to provide under subsection 38(4) or (5),

  • (d) carries on any work, undertaking or activity described in subsection 37(1) or (1.1)

    • (i) otherwise than in accordance with any material or information relating to the work, undertaking or activity that he or she provides to the Minister under subsection 37(1) or (1.1),

    • (ii) otherwise than in accordance with any such material or information as required to be modified by any order of the Minister under paragraph 37(2)(a), or

    • (iii) contrary to any order made by the Minister under subsection 37(2),

  • (e) fails to take any reasonable measures that he or she is required to take under subsection 38(6) or fails to take those measures in the required manner,

  • (f) fails to provide a report that he or she is required to provide under subsection 38(7),

  • (g) fails to comply with the whole or any part of a direction of an inspector or a fishery officer under subsection 38(7.1), or

  • (h) fails to comply with a request of the Minister made under section 20,

  is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable, for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand dollars and, for any subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both.

• (4) [Repealed, 1991, c. 1, s. 10]

• Marginal note:Matters of proof

  (5) For the purpose of any proceedings for an offence under subsection (2) or (3),

  • (a) a deposit as defined in subsection 34(1) takes place whether or not any act or omission resulting in the deposit is intentional; and

  • (b) no water is water frequented by fish, as defined in subsection 34(1), where proof is made that at all times material to the proceedings the water is not, has not been and is not likely to be frequented in fact by fish.

• Marginal note:Application of fines

  (6) All fines received by the Receiver General in respect of the commission of an offence under this section are to be credited to the Environmental Damages Fund, an account in the accounts of Canada, and used for purposes related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat, or for administering that Fund.

• Marginal note:Recommendations of court

  (7) The court imposing the fine may recommend to the Minister that all or a portion of the fine credited to the Environmental Damages Fund be paid to a person or an organization specified by the court for a purpose referred to in subsection (6).