$5K fine, social media ban for B.C. jet skier who got too close to dolphins
Fisheries and Oceans Canada provided this image of a man who was found guilty of disturbing marine mammals.
A B.C. man caught jet skiing too close to a pod of dolphins while taking video has been fined $5,000 and banned from posting 'anything' related to marine mammals on social media, according to officials.
Stephen Michael White was found guilty of violating federal Marine Mammal Regulations that set minimum 'approach distances' as part of a prohibition disturbing killer whales, dolphins or porpoises, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a news release Thursday.
'Mr. White was recorded speeding toward a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins on his jet ski, coming within just a few feet while filming them on his cellphone – much closer than the 100-metre legal approach distance,' the statement from DFO said.
'The court determined his actions were negligent and reckless.'
The incident unfolded in August of 2022 in the Broughton Strait near Port McNeill and was reported 'immediately,' DFO said. White was convicted last year, and the penalties were handed down in provincial court last month.
In addition to the fine and social media ban, White was prohibited from 'operating any motorized vessel on water' for a period of six months, the statement from the agency said, adding that White was the first person successfully prosecuted for violating minimum approach distances.
DFO's statement also explained some of the risks associated with too-close encounters.
'Toothed whale species, including dolphins and killer whales, rely on echolocating – using sound to navigate their environment,' the agency said.
'Close encounters with a vessel can disrupt their natural behaviours and interfere with essential sound signals used for communication, foraging, and socialization.'
The legislated minimum approach distances vary depending on location and type of marine mammal but they apply to all watercraft, as well as swimmers and scuba divers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Author wins defamation lawsuit against U of R professor who called book 'racist garbage'
In 2016, Candis McLean self-published a book titled When Police Become Prey: The Cold Hard Facts, questioning the conclusions of the Neil Stonechild inquiry, which found the Indigenous teenager had been in the custody of police the night he died in November 1990.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Man seriously hurt in two-vehicle Waterloo crash
A man was sent to hospital with serious injuries following a two-vehicle crash in Waterloo on Thursday. Waterloo Regional Police were called to the intersection of Weber Street South and Union Street East around 11:15 p.m. They said the crash happened between a Mercedes and a Toyota. The 34-year-old driving the Toyota was sent to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The passenger, a 17-year-old girl, was not seriously hurt. The driver of the Mercedes, a 24-year-old man, was not hurt. The intersection was closed for multiple hours as police investigated. Police said charges are expected and have asked anyone who saw what happened or has dash camera video of the incident to call police at 519-570-9777, extension 8856.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Vancouver officer taken to hospital after motorcycle-involved crash downtown
A Vancouver Police officer is pictured in Vancouver, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns A Vancouver police officer has been taken to hospital after being involved in a crash downtown Thursday evening. According to a brief statement by the Vancouver Police Department, the collision occurred between a 'VPD traffic member on a motorcycle and another vehicle' near the Burrard Street and West Pender Street intersection. 'The VPD officer was taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries,' the statement said. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
