Five recreational shellfish harvesters have been fined a combined $19,000 following an investigation along the Campbell River waterfront.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says fishery officers encountered the group in June 2025 while conducting a routine low-tide patrol.

The area was closed to shellfish harvesting under the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program because of potential contamination and associated public-health concerns.

The five harvesters were convicted in Campbell River Provincial Court in July 2026.

Individual penalties ranged from $3,000 to $5,000 for offences that included harvesting shellfish from a prohibited area and failing to comply with recreational fishing licence conditions.

One member of the group was also fined for making a false statement to a fishery officer.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says shellfish closures are established to protect public health, and harvesting from a closed area is both illegal and potentially unsafe.

Providing false or misleading information to fishery officers can also result in substantial penalties.

Recreational harvesters are encouraged to check current closures and confirm that an area is open before collecting shellfish.