Island farmer fined $5K for fall pesticide incident

An Island farmer has been fined $5,000 for an infraction of the Pesticide Control Act.

The infraction came to light last Octoberin Cornwall, P.E.I., after local kids found dead trout in a river.

Farmer Edwin Arnold Scott was cleaning out his sprayer last fall and a short time later more than 150 dead fish were found in the nearby Hyde Creek.

• Farmer pleads guilty to pesticide offence after fish kill
• Dead fish found in Cornwall stream were trout, watershed group says

The cause of the fish kill was undetermined, but water samples tested positive for the herbicide Diquat.

On Wednesday,provincial court judge Nancy Orrruled there was not enough evidence to say what killed the fish.

However,Scott pleaded guilty in April to failing to followpesticide label directions.

The judge turned down the prosecutor's request for a much higher fine and said Scott's actions weren't malicious ruling that the incident was the result of carelessness while cleaning equipment.

"Anytime there is a fish kill in this province there is a great outcry over the loss as there should be," said Orr.

"That being said. It requires legal proof not public sentiment."

Scott has a year to pay the fine.

More P.E.I. news