It is based on the principle that someone other than the criminal has information that can solve the crime. Just like the police use Crimestoppers, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service needs your help in catching poachers and polluters.

The RAPP hotline should also be used to report human-wildlife conflicts where public safety may be at risk

How Can I Help?

Remember, never confront or attempt to apprehend a suspect. Environmental violations to report include:

• Illegal waste disposal (household or business waste, e.g. dumped on Crown Land)
• Unlawful open burning (e.g. dense smoke); excludes backyard burning
• The discharge of chemicals or sewage to lakes or rivers
• Damage to fish or wildlife habitat
• Exceeding the daily bag or catch limit
• Use of illegal hunting or fishing gear
• Fishing or hunting out of season or in closed areas
• Unauthorized collection or sale of fish and wildlife or their parts

What to Record

Your observations should be recorded in note form as soon as possible. Where possible include:

• Description of suspect(s), including, number of people, name, sex, race, age, height/weight, eye colour, hair, hair colour and style, facial hair, physical attributes such as tattoos or scars, clothing, accent and mannerisms.
• Details of violation, including, date, time, location, type of violation, suspects actions and comments, type of hunting or fishing gear and other equipment used
• Transport involved, including vehicle or vessel number, province or state, make, model, year, colour and distinctive features such as damage, stripes or customizing
• Witnesses, including name, address and phone number for each

How to Report

Call 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP) or #7277 on the TELUS Mobility Network. If the situation is not an emergency, report the incident online or contact the nearest Conservation Officer Service district office.

For fisheries violations related to salmon, contact Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) at 1-800-465-4336. You can also contact your local RCMP detachment or municipal police.

Your Report Can Make a Difference

With accurate reporting, emergency call centre staff will quickly relay your information to the nearest available Conservation Officer. Accurate and timely violation reports reduce conservation officer response time and increase the likelihood of apprehension and successful prosecution.

In addition to minimizing any damage caused by poachers and polluters, you can help prevent violations before they even occur. The watchful eyes of responsible and informed resource users are a powerful deterrent to potential violators.

Penalties

As one example of the types of penalties violators are subject to, provisions in the Wildlife Act allow for a poachers hunting licence to be cancelled for up to 30 years, following conviction.

A poacher may also be subject to a fine and/or imprisonment, which could be:

• Up to $25,000 and/or 6 months imprisonment for the majority of offences under the Wildlife Act
• Up to $50,000 and/or 6 months imprisonment for offences that could harm the wildlife resource or that reflect serious unethical practices related to illegal hunting or trapping
• $1,000 to $100,000 and/or 1 year imprisonment for offences related to the illegal trade in live wildlife or killing endangered species

Rewards

The BC Wildlife Federation pays rewards up to $2000 for information leading to the conviction of persons who have violated laws related to the protection of fish, wildlife, or the environment, or damaged the property of companies or individuals who provide access to hunters and anglers.