|
New highway signs, a
website and a toll-free hotline for the public to report poachers and polluters
were approved by Environment Minister Barry Penner, who is attending the 50th
Annual Meeting of the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) today in Penticton.
"The
Conservation Officer Service is seeking the public’s help in catching people
who break our environmental laws," said Penner. "The Report All Poachers and
Polluters (RAPP) signs and free hotline give the public an opportunity to help
protect our environment – anonymously and without risk of confronting the
offender."
The public
can report violators 24 hours a day, seven days a week by visiting www.rapp.bc.ca or by calling 1-877-952-RAPP
(7277). The new signs, which are scheduled to be installed starting in June,
will help get the message out to the public. They will also be easy to use for
cell phone users by dialing #RAPP.
"We’re
hiring more conservation officers this year, but the public and local
communities can also help us stop environmental violations," said Penner.
"Polluters are dangerous to our environment, our health and the economy. The
water we drink, the air we breathe and the foods we eat all come from the
environment and we need the public’s eyes, ears and good judgment to report
known or suspected violators."
Under the
B.C. Environmental Management Act, polluters can face a maximum $1-million fine
and six months in jail. Under the B.C. Wildlife Act, a poacher can face a
maximum $100,000 fine and one year in jail for a first offence. Illegally
taking fish or damaging fish habitat has a maximum penalty of $1 million under
the Canada Fisheries Act.
The new RAPP
phone number replaces the older conservation officer toll-free number. Mark
Hayden, the Province’s chief conservation officer, hopes that the simple slogan
and online reporting form will make it easier for the public to report
violations of environmental regulations.
"This is
one more step towards improving the enforcement and compliance of our
environmental laws to make British Columbia a world leader in environmental
management and sustainable communities," said Penner.
The hotline
is a partnership with the BC Wildlife Federation and the hunting and angling
community. The BCWF is offering rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading
to charges being laid against suspected violators through the RAPP program.
Tony Toth,
executive director of the BCWF, said it is not reasonable to expect provincial
environmental staff to have the capacity to cover the entire province all day,
every day. "I urge the public to assist us in chasing down violators and
bringing them to justice. No one has the right to abuse a resource that belongs
to all of us," Toth said.
The
Conservation Officer Service has officers stationed in 44communities throughout the province. The RAPP hotline is part of a
modernization of the province’s environmental compliance program that also
includes hiring 19 new conservation officers this year.
To
download a digital version of the new RAPP sign, visit:www.env.gov.bc.ca/pac/images/Infrastructure_Sign_RAPP.pdf
|
