The Canadian-led team behind a crackdown on illegal fishing in the Pacific Ocean has recorded a significant number of violations, noting problematic practices — including shark finning — persist. On Thursday, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) shared the results of a recent patrol of the North Pacific, reporting 52 potential violations from 30 vessel inspections on the high seas. Last year’s operation found 39 violations across 41 vessel boardings. The inspections are part of the annual Operation North Pacific Guard, which departed from Victoria on May 13th and ran through July 7th. “We have captains that, when we board, they know that Canada is coming and they’ve made some efforts to improve their compliance with the rules,” said Sean Wheeler, DFO’s chief of international enforcement, conservation, and protection. “Our impression is that there is a combination of an education issue for the fishers, as well as … an incentive for the amount of money that could be made by conducting illegal fishing.” The goal is to counter financial motivation with strong sanctions, including fines, jail time, and bans from fishing on the open ocean. DFO records international fisheries rule violations with the help of the Canadian Coast Guard, RCMP, and partner agencies in Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Violations are then reported to a vessel’s country of origin, which is responsible for conducting an investigation and administering sanctions. Shark finning, dolphin harpooning Fishery officers search freezers, comb through complex paperwork, and collaborate with interpreters to communicate with crews. “There’s a fairly significant pattern of violations per boarding,” Wheeler said. “Some of these could be considered administrative or they could be considered all the way up to serious violations, where we’re talking about those shark finning or protected-species violations.” Boardings are supplemented with air surveillance, which resulted in 344 vessel inspections and 21 potential violations related to shark finning, dolphin harvesting, pollution, and gear marking requirements. Aerial imagery from the operation shows sharks aboard massive fishing vessels in international waters. The sharks’ fins have been removed, and video footage shows their bodies being thrown overboard. Wheeler said the DFO is investigating one or two dolphin harpooning cases from this year. The practice is tied to shark finning, as the dolphins are used as bait. Earlier this year, a Taiwanese court sentenced a fishing captain to more than two years in prison for capturing 43 dolphins and using them to lure sharks. “It is something that we expect will have a strong deterrent effect in the years to come, so we are hoping that this is a declining practice now,” Wheeler said. Poor labour conditions During the 23,000-kilometre patrol, officers detected an unusually low catch in the pelagic fishery, which includes mackerel, sardines, and Pacific saury. Wheeler said DFO’s scientists will work to determine if there’s been a shift in migration patterns and whether climate change is contributing to the drop off. Crews also documented poor labour conditions on some vessels, including excessive work hours, inadequate rest, unhygienic conditions, and inadequate sleeping areas. DFO’s national chief enforcement officer Peter Lambertucci said Canada is pressing for stronger labour standards. “The more in-depth dialog we have about the scope and scale of the issues that we find, the more we leverage our international partners to help us advocate for voluntary compliance or compliance through regulatory management operations,” Lambertucci said. Despite the number of potential violations, the DFO is optimistic about the future of fishing and resource management on the high seas. “We are starting to see an arc towards compliance and we hope that as more and more rules get put in, the deterrent comes with it,” Wheeler said.
