Canadian authorities seized eight boats on August 23 during a crackdown on illegal salmon fishing.
27 people face charges and up to 2 years in jail, reported CBC.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has been making a concerted effort to get poachers out of the area.
Enforcement officials said that on the Fraser River alone they’ve seized several vessels during the last week, not including the eight boats, and have pulled up dozens of illegal nets.
“We’re facing a fair number of nets that are fishing at night,” Herb Redekopp, chief of conservation and protection for the department, told CBC.
“There’s a real pent-up demand for these fish and the market price on the black market is very high.”
The department has night patrols and aerial units monitoring the illegal fishing.
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