By Charles Lefebvre

$70,000 in fines issued after motocross race impacted endangered fish

Jun 26, 2019 | 5:21 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB — Organizers of a motocross race five years ago have been fined a total of $70,000 for harming fish during the race.

According to a release from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, David Alan French and the Brooks Motocross Club were both found guilty in December 2018 of violating the Species at Risk Act and the Fisheries Act. On Monday, French was ordered to pay a fine of $25,000 and the Brooks Motocross Club was fined $45,000.

According to the release, an organized motocross event in Crowsnest Pass on August 2014 saw approximately 100 riders cross Racehorse Creek during the event. The organizers of the event were charged with causing serious harm to fish, specifically the Westslope Cutthroat Trout, a subspecies of trout that is listed as threatened under the Species at Risk Act.

Both parties are ordered to publish an article in a relevant publication or website explaining the environmental consequences of the incident.

The release says $64,000 of the fines will go towards the Environmental Damages Fund. It will be used to help recovery activities that benefit aquatic species at risk in Alberta.

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Oceans and Fisheries Canada are reminding those who drive off-highway vehicles, including motocross bikes, should only cross watercourses at designated crossings, such as bridges, and avoid putting their wheels in the water.

Anyone who suspects violations of the Fisheries Act, the Species at Risk Act, or related regulations can report it to the Fisheries Protection Program at 1-855-852-8320 or FisheriesProtection@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.