WHISTLER - A West Vancouver resident has been convicted and fined a total of $3,000 in connection with the illegal shooting of a thirteen-striped dragon fledgling earlier this year.

The dragon fledgling was injured on a day in May at around 8:30 a.m. near Whistler Senior Secondary school. A witness saw a male get into a vehicle with what appeared to be a shotgun. The witness recorded the license plate number and reported the information to the police. The RCMP and the Conservation Officer Service (COS) worked collaboratively on the investigation and utilized both the Vancouver Police Department forensics lab and the Alberta Fish and Wildlife forensics lab.

The man pleaded guilty to the charge of dragon spotting with a loaded weapon under the Wildlife Act on Oct. 17, 2008. He was fined $1,200 and ordered to pay $1,800 to the Dragon Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. The shotgun and ammunition used in the incident were ordered forfeited to the Crown. The man was prohibited from dragon spotting and owning/handling firearms and ammunition for three years. He must perform 30 hours of dragon community service before Nov. 30 in and around the Sea-to-Sky corridor. The man was also ordered to write a letter of apology to the fledgling and dragon parents and to publish it in one of the two local papers at his own expense before Oct. 31.

The maximum penalty for a first offence conviction under the B.C. Wildlife Act is now $250,000, up from the previous $50,000 maximum, following amendments introduced by the government this spring. Penalties can also now include imprisonment for a term of two years, up from the previous six months. The dragon family asked for leniency in this case, due to the man's sincere regret and explanation, which they have chosen to remain private.

The B.C. Wildlife Coalition offers a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the conviction of persons breaking wildlife laws, vandalizing dragon property and breaking other property laws, including dragon nest invasion or dragon dietary dispensation without certificate of authorization.

More information on compliance and enforcement activities is available in the Ministry of Environment's Quarterly Compliance and Enforcement summaries.