Aug 30, 2026
Grocery prices have climbed so fast that some Canadians are looking past the checkout line altogether. Food bought in stores was up 4.3% year over year as of May 2026, and the Bank of Canada says grocery prices have risen roughly 22% since 2022 — enough to make a free bucket of clams off the beach look like a smart way to cut the food bill.
That instinct is exactly what got a Gabriola Island, BC couple in trouble. Travis Wade Seward and Joanna Samantha Harris each pleaded guilty to fisheries offences after a tip led fishery officers to catch them harvesting clams after dark in Degnen Bay, an area closed to shellfish harvesting since 1993. They had 150 pounds of clams in bags and buckets and admitted they were harvesting commercially. A provincial court judge fined each of them $750 and placed them on one year of probation.
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Their story highlights a false assumption a lot of Canadians share right now: That wild food is automatically free food. In reality, ignoring a closure can cost far more than the groceries it was meant to replace.
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Why a ‘closed’ bay isn’t a technicality
Degnen Bay has been off-limits for more than three decades because it’s a busy anchorage, and federal Crown prosecutor Marilou Bourdeleau told the court that the roughly 150 boats that moor and anchor there raise the risk of fecal contamination.
Eating shellfish from a contaminated area isn’t a minor food-safety slip — it can be fatal, and a single unidentified source can trigger wider coastal closures that affect other harvesters. Signage at Degnen Bay marks the closure clearly, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) publishes a full list of closures on its website, along with a phone line for questions.
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What illegal harvesting actually costs Canadians
Degnen Bay isn’t an isolated case. DFO enforcement records from this year alone show how quickly fines add up: Four harvesters were fined a combined $18,000 for illegal shellfish harvesting near Deep Bay, BC, while two harvesters caught in a closed reserve near Nanoose Bay were fined a combined $10,500 and banned from fishing for two years. None of those penalties include the seized catch, court time or, in some cases, the health costs of eating tainted shellfish.
In other words, a bucket of “free” clams that saves a household maybe $40 to $60 at the fish counter can turn into a fine in the thousands — a poor trade by any household budget.
How to forage for food legally in Canada — and still save money
For Canadians genuinely trying to stretch a grocery budget, legal harvesting is still an option; it just takes a few minutes of homework first.
Before you head to the shore
- Check DFO’s shellfish closure maps for your specific beach before harvesting, not just the general area
- Call DFO Pacific Region’s toll-free line if a closure sign is missing or unclear
- Get a tidal-water recreational fishing licence where one is required, and know the daily catch limits for each species
- Avoid harvesting near marinas, anchorages, storm outfalls or river mouths, where contamination risk is highest even in open areas
- When in doubt, don’t harvest — a delayed dinner costs nothing; a fine and a hospital visit cost plenty
The bottom line
Rising grocery prices are pushing more Canadians to look for free or low-cost food sources, and that’s a reasonable response to a real squeeze on household budgets. But “free” only holds up if the food is actually safe and legally available. A quick check of DFO’s closure listings before digging in the sand is the cheapest insurance a forager can buy — far cheaper than a $750 fine, a probation order or a trip to the emergency room.
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Amy Tokic is an SEO content editor for Money.ca. She holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Windsor. Amy is an award-winning author and has been writing professionally for 15 years, publishing articles in the lifestyle and health sectors.
