Fish and chips shops inspected by Fraser Health

By Monisha Martins - Maple Ridge News
Published: May 20, 2010 3:00 PM

A fish and chips shop whose owner is facing charges for buying halibut off the back of a truck was inspected by health authorities.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans notified Fraser Health about the illegal purchases after James Robert Wadhams, a resident of Port McNeill on Vancouver Island, was caught several times peddling the fish to Amy Zhuo Hua Zheng and Michael Kam Fuk Ching and his business, Awesome Fish and Chips, which operates Austin Fish and Chips in Pitt Meadows.

Ching is also connected to Austin’s Maple Ridge location.

“If there is anything to do with a restaurant, we inform local health and safety authorities. It is standard practice,” said DFO spokesperson Leri Davies.

“The first priority of the Department of Fisheries is the health and safety of Canadians.”

Zheng faces two contraventions under the Federal Fisheries Act for allegedly making purchases last Aug. 20 and 30 in Pitt Meadows. 

Ching and his business, Awesome Fish and Chips, face five contraventions each for allegedly buying fish in Maple Ridge last year on July 18, Sept.15 and Oct. 23, as well as for alleged purchases made in Pitt Meadows on Aug. 20 and 30.

Wadhams, who was fined $5,000 in Port Hardy Provincial Court on Nov. 19, 2008 after pleading guilty to selling fish caught by a harvester without a license authorizing sales, is charged with 10 contraventions under the Fisheries ACT.

The halibut had been caught under an aboriginal communal license for food, social, ceremonial purposes.

Fraser Health conducted inspections of Austin Fish and Chips in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows last December after being notified by the Department of Fisheries.

On Dec. 16, authorities found “food from an unapproved source” at the Maple Ridge location and shut it down.

It reopened the next day after another inspection demonstrated it was only serving food from an approved source such as a licensed fish processing plant.

The Pitt Meadows location was also inspected at the same time and no evidence of food from an unapproved source was found.

“There was no action taken against the Pitt Meadows establishment,” said Fraser Health spokesperson Roy Thorpe.

The health authority also does spot inspections on restaurants and indicated inspections were going to be conducted at both Austin Fish and Chips locations again shortly.

Ching, the owner facing charges, did not return calls for comment.