3 women charged with salmon poaching near Hampden

Three women have been charged with poaching salmon from a river near Hampden in Newfoundland's White Bay.

Wildlife officers from the province and officials with Fisheries and Oceans Canada had been watching the river after getting a number of complaints about illegal netting.

• Poachers having 'severe' impact on N.L. salmon, trout: province

They made the arrests on Aug.9 after watching women set a net under a bridge, across the full width of the river.

In a news release Monday, the department of Justice and Public Safety said the women were seen throwing rocks to drive salmon into the net.

Investigators seized a net, one salmon and two ski masks.

The women will appear in provincial court in Corner Brook Dec. 6 to face charges of possession of a net near inland waters, netting salmon in inland waters and possession of fish caught in violationof the Fisheries Act.

Wildlife officers believe they were part of a larger group of poachers, and the investigation is still going on.