Canadian Coast Guard Concludes North Pacific Fishing Enforcement Mission

The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir Wilfrid Laurier recently returned to Victoria, B.C., after completing a mission in the North Pacific aimed at addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. This mission, part of Operation North Pacific Guard, involved collaboration with the United States Coast Guard and the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

During the mission, Canadian fishery officers inspected 15 fishing vessels and discovered illegally harvested shark fins, evidence of fishing during closed seasons, unreported catches, and instances of marine pollution. They also identified several "dark vessels," which are ships operating with their monitoring systems turned off.

The operation included aerial surveillance conducted from Hokkaido, Japan, in cooperation with Japanese and South Korean fishery officers. Over 34 patrols, 407 vessels were visually inspected, uncovering incidents of shark finning, targeted dolphin harvesting, pollution, and vessel marking violations.

The mission marked the first use of a new eco-friendly fuel blend by the Canadian Coast Guard, as well as the first port visit of a Canadian Coast Guard vessel to Japan. Canada is now working with the relevant flag states to pursue further investigations and potential sanctions against the offending vessels.