Canadian high-seas patrol finds suspected shark finning and other violations

A Canadian-led patrol in the North Pacific found 52 potential fisheries violations during 30 vessel inspections on the high seas, Fisheries and Oceans Canada says.

Operation North Pacific Guard left Victoria on May 13 and concluded July 7. The annual operation, supported by the Canadian Coast Guard, RCMP and agencies in Japan, South Korea and the United States, found 39 violations in 41 boardings last year.

DFO said potential violations range from administrative matters to serious concerns involving shark finning and protected species. Vessel countries are responsible for investigating reported violations and imposing sanctions, which can include fines, imprisonment and bans from fishing on the high seas.

Aerial surveillance during the 23,000-kilometre patrol conducted 344 vessel inspections and identified 21 potential violations involving shark finning, dolphin harvesting, pollution and gear-marking requirements. DFO said imagery showed sharks whose fins had been removed and bodies discarded overboard.

Sean Wheeler, DFO's chief of international enforcement, conservation and protection, said the department is investigating one or two suspected dolphin-harpooning cases this year. Dolphins may be used as shark bait. He said a Taiwanese court earlier this year sentenced a fishing captain to more than two years in prison for capturing 43 dolphins for that purpose.

Officers also recorded unusually low pelagic catches, including mackerel, sardines and Pacific saury. DFO scientists will assess possible migration changes and whether climate change contributed. The patrol also documented concerns about excessive work hours, inadequate rest, poor hygiene and insufficient sleeping areas on some vessels.