Two humpbacks tangled in fishing gear rescued
Rescuers found and freed humpback whales Raza and Mogul, tethered together in fishing gear, after a kayaker reported their plight.
Film Company Fined for Drone Over Orcas
Filming orcas “beach rubbing” on Vancouver Island just cost a BC film company a $25,000 fine, plus another fine for the drone operator.
Bigg’s Killer Whale Sightings Soar in Salish Sea
Sightings of Bigg’s killer whales have soared this year in the Salish Sea. In July alone, groups of Bigg’s whales were sighted 214 times.
Halibut Master Caught Fishing In Protected Glass Reef Fined $33,596
Commercial fisherman Brent Belveal landed a $33,596 fine for illegally operating his halibut vessel Gypsy Soul in the fragile and legally protected glass sponge reef near Bella Bella. The master of the Gypsy Soul had pled guilty in BC provincial court to charges of fishing illegally inside the Hecate Strait Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reef Marine […]
Canada Called to Answer for Lack of Enforcement on Toxic Wastewater Dumping in the Pacific
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), established under the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade agreement, has raised concerns about Canada’s failure to control the discharge of millions of tonnes of contaminated wash water from fuel scrubbers.
Will BC Fisheries Move To An Owner-Operator Licencing System?
British Columbia’s licencing and quota system for fisheries could soon be seeing much needed reforms. The BC government has announced its intentions to work with the federal government to transition the province’s individual transferable quota (ITQ) system to an owner-operator system.
Ocean Wise Cancels Alaskan Salmon’s Stamp of Approval
Seafood sustainability group Ocean Wise has removed its “recommended” status from salmon fisheries in southeast Alaska.
New BC Marine Protected Area Safeguards Unique Hydrothermal Vents and Seamounts
In a landmark collaboration, First Nations along British Columbia’s coast and the Canadian government have announced the designation of the country’s largest marine protected area (MPA).
New Measures to Protect Southern Resident Killer Whales in BC
The Government of Canada has announced new measures and increased funding to protect the endangered Southern Resident killer whales of BC’s coast.
Noise Pollution Threatens the Survival of Southern Resident Killer Whales
Scientists are increasingly concerned about the effects of increased vessel shipping, and the underwater noise pollution that comes with it, on BC’s marine species that rely on sound and echolocation to communicate, navigate, and hunt.