A Beauval resident is facing $14,500 in fines after pleading guilty to multiple fisheries and wildlife charges. He has three years to pay the fines.

The investigation began three years ago with a tip about illegal fish trafficking and the province says it ultimately uncovered other offences including unlicensed outfitting and trafficking of wildlife parts.

Ministry of Environment Conservation officers received information in 2018 about illegal fishing and trafficking involving 36 year old Robert McCallum. As well, undercover officers saw him toss a large amount of edible fish into the landfill to waste.

During the investigation, conservation officers also discovered that McCallum was trafficking in bear gall bladders. On one occasion, he sold a bear gall to an undercover officer and then attempted to recruit the officer to sell bear gall bladders for him.

The Environment Ministry says McCallum was also illegally offering guided fishing trips. In September 2019, undercover officers booked and paid McCallum to guide them on Lac La Plonge, which has an angling limit of three trout per person to help protect fish populations. However, during this trip, McCallum set two gill nets that caught a large amount of lake trout. He then gave the officers 29 fish, which he included in their guiding fee.

McCallum is prohibited from applying for licenses under The Fisheries Act for three years and was given a five-year prohibition for licences under The Wildlife Act. Additionally, McCallum’s existing licences have been cancelled.

Roger McCallum Jr., 36, pleaded guilty to charges under The Fisheries Act, The Wildlife Act and The Outfitter and Guide Regulations including:

illegal marketing of fish (fined $7,600);
wasting fish (fined $1,400);
commercial fishing without a licence (fined $250);
trafficking in bear galls (fined $2,800);
illegal outfitting (fined $1,400); and
illegal provision of sustenance fish (fined $1,050).