A man has been found guilty of encroaching too closely to a pod of dolphins off the coast of Vancouver Island while riding a recreational jetski.
Stephen Michael White was handed a $5,000 fine for his actions, as directed by the Campbell River Provincial Court in late May.
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), White was caught on video speeding toward a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins on his jetski.
The footage showed he came within just a few feet while filming them on his cell phone.
DFO says that the legal limit of encroachment on a pod of dolphins like this one is a distance of at least 100 metres.
In addition to his fine, White has been given further punishments for his actions.
“The court determined his actions were negligent and reckless, leading to a six month ban from operating any motorized vessel on water,” wrote the DFO in a media release.
“Additionally, Mr. White was prohibited from posting anything related with marine mammals on social media.”
The reason why there is a 100 metre legal distance that must be maintained from dolphins, is that similarly to killer whales, they rely on echolocating to navigate the ocean waters.
The DFO says that close encounters with a vessel, such as a jetski, can disrupt their natural behaviours and interfere with essential sound signals used for communication, foraging, socialization and navigation.
These interactions, if too close in proximity, can pose health risks to both humans and marine mammals.
Other key distance provisions to keep in mind are:
- 400 metres from all killer whales in southern BC Coastal waters
- 200 metres from killer whales in all other Canadian Pacific waters
- 200 metres away when a whale, dolphin or porpoise is in a resting position or with a calf
- 100 metres away for other whales, porpoises and dolphins
The DFO says this is the first successfully prosecuted case of distance provisions in Canada, as per the Marine Mammal Regulations.
“The guilty verdict and court-ordered fine reinforce the importance of following marine mammal approach distance regulations to prevent disturbances,” wrote the DFO.
With summer just around the corner, it is important to keep regulations like these in mind, or else there may be consequences.
For those interested, more information on Canada’s laws and guidelines regarding marine mammals can be found online here.
