Illegal moose, deer meat sale, endangered lynx earns hefty fine plus jail
Published Monday October 19th, 2009
By Laura MacInnis
laura.macinnis@miramichileader.com
MIRAMICHI — Moose meat, deer meat, lynx meat, and salmon. It isn’t a party menu, but a list of animals conservation officers found in the possession of an illegal seller.
Glenwood George Gallan pled guilty Tuesday to charges of illegally selling moose and deer meat after attempting to hide his business behind a status Native.
And Natural Resource Department officers later found even more illegal meat when they went to his campsite and discovered a lynx, which is currently on the endangered species list, and untagged salmon.
He pled guilty to those charges as well.
Gallan received a $4000 fine for the moose and deer sale and was ordered by Judge Denis Lordon to spend seven days in jail. He was also fined $600 for the lynx and $200 for the salmon.
On Nov. 29 conservation officers were information of an illegal sale of moose meat. Blackville and Miramichi DNR officers followed Gallan in his vehicle to South Barnaby River Road where they witnessed the deal take place and stepped in to make the arrest.
Officers found 500 pounds of moose meat in total and 100 pounds deer meat — a whole dear carcass.
The buyer, who came from Moncton pled guilty earlier this summer to illegal possession and received a $1000 fine.
As a result of the investigation Blackville DNR officers went to Gallan’s Doyle’s Brook camp where they found the lynx and salmon.
After he pled guilty to those charges, charges against his wife, Deborah Laurine Gallan were dropped.
“You’re going to see more of these cases going through the courts now, where people are using status Natives to try to sell moose meat and use them as a cover— using Natives to abuse their rights,’ said District 2 North conservation officer Bruce Woulds. “If we can make them scared to do that maybe we can slow this down.
Status Native Grant Eugene Patles, who was involved with making the sales look legit, failed to appear for his trial Tuesday as ordered, but was in court the following day and pled guilty. Lordon was in the process of sentencing him to the identical fine and time in jail as Gallan when Patles asked if his term in jail could be delayed to deal with personal matters. The judge agreed and he will now be sentenced Nov. 17.
http://miramichileader.canadaeast.com/news/article/828291
—————-
Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://bigcatrescue.org
