Three fishers lost their boat and catch after being found without valid fishing licences on Sproat Lake near Port Alberni last week.
Eight sockeye salmon were seized and the boat was impounded under the Wildlife Act, according to the B.C. Conservation Officers Service, which was patrolling the lake in a joint operation with the RCMP and Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The Conservation Officer Service said the three fishers on the boat did not have valid licenses and illegally retained the salmon.
The investigation continues.
