An undercover investigation by Saskatchewan’s Environment Ministry has found a meat shop in Star City was illegally selling wild goose meat.
According to the ministry, 56-year-old David Tschetter recently pleaded guilty in Melfort provincial court to five charges under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.
Conservation officers began the investigation in 2014. They found migratory bird meat, mainly goose meat, had been coming into the shop, located on the Star City Hutterite Colony.
The wild meat was being processed into jerky and sausage, and the ministry believes the shop was receiving more wild meat than the residents could use.
A news release from the ministry states officers issued verbal and written warnings to Tschetter, manager of Star City Produce and Meats, informing him it’s illegal to sell wild goose meat, but the meat continued to be sold.
Undercover officers purchased wild goose meat from the shop five times during the investigation.
Tschetter pleaded guilty to wildlife trafficking charges and was fined $11,500. He was also ordered to process 159 kilograms of seized goose meat into sausage to be given to food banks in the Melfort area, the news release stated.
