Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is investigating two boats that may have ventured too close to grey whales on May 10.
Adam Jackson, fishery officer with the DFO, thanked everyone who “documented the grey whale incident near Jags yesterday” in a Facebook post May 11.
This is the first incident of this nature that Jackson has had to look into in the two years he has been on Haida Gwaii, he said on May 11.
“People are usually really good,” he said.
In his Facebook post, Jackson also asked anyone with video footage of the incident to send it to him.
The Marine Mammals Regulations regulations were amended in 2018.
Under the new regulations, people must stay at least 200 m away from orca whales in the Pacific Ocean and any whales, dolphins or porpoises that are in resting position or with calves. When these animals are in any other situation, people must give a buffer zone of at least 100 m to all other cetaceans.
A Prince Rupert whale watching guide was the first person convicted under the new regulations after he got too close to a North Pacific humpback. He was fined $2,000 and ordered to complete community service.
READ MORE: Prince Rupert guide fined $2K in first conviction under new federal whale protection laws
Kaitlyn Bailey | Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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