DFO

The fine stems from an incident on May 27, 2019, when Nicklaus Templeman was observed by two other whale watching guides illegally approaching a killer whale within 35 m near Willow Point.

Election Day is set for Sept. 20.

The charges against Scott Steer are the result of an incident near North Vancouver in March 2020 that saw his vessel boarded at high speed by fishery officers after he refused to stop.

The Department of Fisheries and Ocean Canada (DFO) checked 76 vessels and 187 anglers for fishing violations between July 9–10 as part of an enforcement blitz in B.C.’s Southern Gulf Islands.

The southern resident killer whale population is of particular concern because its small population of 75 (as of June), and low birth rate, means even small changes to a few individuals can have a big impact.

“It was really disappointing. I can’t say exactly how many herring were there, I am not really sure but it was about a 30 by 30 foot area,” said Rebecca Benjamin-Carey, campaigner for Conservancy Hornby Island.