Charges against four local fishers after $77,000 of catch was seized.

In January, DFO says their aerial patrol seized over 107,000 pounds of haddock and pollock.

The fishers were charged this month in Yarmouth Provincial Court with using illegally blocked groundfish nets, misreporting and failure to return bycatch to the water.

DFO says three vessels were using ‘tied off’ nets to catch more groundfish.

They say when the ends of the nets are blocked, smaller fish can’t escape and contribute to the future of the stock.

The vessels were directed to Pubnico where the arrests were made.