A Scarborough food business and its two directors have been fined a combined $21,000 after being found guilty of importing and selling snakehead fish, a species banned in Ontario due to the threat it poses to native ecosystems.
According to a court bulletin released Thursday by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the case stems from a routine inspection conducted by conservation officers in the Scarborough area in January 2025. As part of commercial fisheries inspections, officers visited CK Frozen Fish and Food Inc. and discovered five cases of frozen snakehead fish that had been imported from Vietnam. The product was seized on the spot.
Snakehead fish are classified as a prohibited invasive species in Ontario, meaning it is illegal to import, possess or sell them in the province. Following the discovery, CK Frozen Fish and Food Inc. and its two directors, Rakin Niloy of Scarborough and Mohammed Rahman of New York, were charged. Both the company and its directors were subsequently found guilty of importing and selling a prohibited invasive species.
As a result of the conviction, the business was ordered to pay a $6,000 fine, while the two directors were fined $15,000.
The Ministry of Natural Resources noted that snakehead fish are native to southern and eastern Asia and pose a serious ecological risk if introduced into Ontario waters. Because the species has no natural predators in North America, officials said it could significantly disrupt native fish and invertebrate populations if it were to establish itself in local ecosystems. The ministry added that the fish is highly adaptable and capable of thriving in environments such as the Great Lakes, underscoring the province’s concern over its unauthorized import and sale.
The case highlights ongoing enforcement efforts by Ontario conservation officers to monitor commercial fisheries operations and prevent the spread of invasive species through the food supply chain.
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