Officials with Alberta Fish and Wildlife and the Alberta Solicitor General said Friday that three men were facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines after pleading guilty to charges of trafficking meat from wild animals.
Officials said on June 29, three men: Edward L’Hirondelle of Redwater, Harold L’Hirondelle of Marlboro, and Norman L’Hirondelle of Edmonton all pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking meat from moose, elk, and deer.
While it is legal to harvest big game meat by licensed hunters and First Nations people with treaty rights, it’s illegal to sell the meat.
The charges stemmed from an undercover investigation – sources told investigators that wildlife was being illegally bought and sold in the Lac Ste. Anne area. Officers investigated and launched an undercover investigation.
Officers seized 322 packages of moose and elk meat on July 14 – the seized meat is worth about $6,500 on the black market. Investigators also seized $1,105 in cash.
As a result of the investigation, the three individuals were convicted of the following charges:
- Edward L’Hirondelle has been convicted of two counts of trafficking in wildlife – he faced a total of $6,900 in fines and received a six year hunting licence suspension, and a judicial order to report all hunting activities for the next five years
- Harold L’Hirondelle was convicted of two counts of trafficking in wildlife and faced a $8,415 fine, and a six year hunting licence suspension, in addition to a judicial order to report hunting activities for the next five years
- Norman L’Hirondelle was convicted of five counts of trafficking in wildlife, and now faces fines of $27,240, a hunting licence suspension of 15 years and a judicial order to report hunting activities for the next 20 years
Three other individuals were charged with trafficking under the Wildlife Act, and are expected to appear in a Stony Plain courtroom July 8.
