Canadian film company in British Columbia fined for illegally using drones to film killer whales

According to news on August 20, a film production company in British Columbia, Canada has been heavily fined by Fisheries and Oceans Canada for illegally using drones to film killer whales at close range. It is reported that this is the first time in Canada that a fine has been issued for illegally using drones to film killer whales.

On August 19, Fisheries and Oceans Canada revealed that River Road Films in Vancouver and its sister company in the United Kingdom applied for a permit from the department in 2020 to film endangered protected species including killer whales to produce a documentary, but the application was not approved. However, in August 2021, the company's staff were found using drones and underwater filming equipment to film the activities of northern resident killer whales on a beach on Vancouver Island. In early July 2024, River Road Films admitted its illegal close-range filming of whale groups using drones.

According to relevant Canadian regulations, it is illegal to use drones to approach marine mammals at a height of less than 1000 feet (about 304 meters) and within half a nautical mile (about 926 meters). Given that this is a first offense, River Road Films was fined CAD 25,000 and is prohibited from using or redistributing illegally filmed footage by drones; the drone operator was fined CAD 5,000.

Canadian laws and regulations clearly prohibit disturbing marine mammals. Disturbing behaviors include attempting to feed them, swimming or interacting with them, forcing them to move, separating them from their groups, getting between them and their calves, surrounding them with boats, tagging or marking them, etc. At the same time, according to Canadian regulations, people must maintain a distance of at least 400 meters from killer whales in southern waters of British Columbia, at least 200 meters from killer whales in other Pacific waters of Canada, and at least 100 meters from other whales, porpoises and dolphins.