Investigation Found Drone Was Too Close to Killer Whales

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Whale Protection Unit completed an investigation on River Road Films’ drone operations. It resulted in a $30,000 fine for the company and their drone operator for not maintaining proper distance from Northern Resident Killer Whales (NRKWs).

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, or DFO, has mandates in place to protect marine life. They are partnered with the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada, Parks Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to enforce Marine Mammal Regulations.

Under these rules, people are required to stay 400 meters away from all killer whales in southern British Columbia waters and 200 meters from them in all other Canadian Pacific waters. It is also illegal to approach any marine mammal with a UAS at an altitude below 1000 feet and within half a nautical mile. This system is in place to protect both animal and human life in Canadian waters.

River Road Films is an award-winning nature documentary producer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company has a rocky history with the DFO. In 2020, the company and its UK sister applied for a special permit to film act-risk species, including killer whales, for their documentary. This was, of course, denied. Then, in 2021, the River Road film crew was found using drones and underwater video cameras to capture killer whale movement on Vancouver Island. This offense has been under investigation since then.

On July 2, the company pleaded guilty to unlawfully operating their drones too close to an NRKW pod. River Road Films was fined $25,000, and their operator was fined $5,000. They were also prohibited from distributing the footage they captured in this event.

This is their first offense and the first fine of its kind in Canada.

FMI: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca