Campbell River whale watcher fined $ 10,000 for getting too close to orca

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Nicklaus Templeman, the owner and operator of Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions, was briefed by several other whale watching operators and their clients.

Author of the article:

David carrigg

The Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions boat is shown here near Willow Point on May 27, 2019, when operator Nicklaus Templeman illegally approached an orca.
The Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions boat is shown here near Willow Point on May 27, 2019, when operator Nicklaus Templeman illegally approached an orca. Photo from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

A Campbell River whale watching operator was fined $ 10,000 after other whale watchers and their clients reported him for getting too close to an orca.

In a prepared statement, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Pacific Region) said Nicklaus Templeman, owner and operator of Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions, was near Willow Point on May 27, 2019, when he illegally approached an orca and approached 35 meters. of the mammal. The orca was part of a pack that moved through the area.

There were six or seven other commercial whale-watching vessels in the area at the time they contacted the DFO “watch, record, report” line.

A DFO Conservation and Protection Fisheries Officer was dispatched and discovered that Templeman had approached the killer whale from behind and positioned his vessel close to shore, resulting in two groups of killer whales transiting between his vessel and the other vessels of whale watching that were on the high seas.

This was a violation of marine mammal regulations which state that a vessel cannot attempt to channel a marine mammal into an area.

All rival vessels that reported on Templeman, as well as several of his clients, provided witness statements to the DFO.

The species of whale that was molested by Templeman is called Bigg’s killer whale and is considered at risk because of its small population size, low reproductive rate (one calf every five years) and because they accumulate toxins. They are also very sensitive to noise.

A provincial court judge in Campbell River ordered Templeman’s $ 10,000 fine to be used for the conservation and protection of marine mammals off the coast of British Columbia.

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Reference-vancouversun.com

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