Know Before You Go – Marine Mammal Regulations

July 21, 2022

See a Blow, Go SlowIt’s summer when many of us have the joy of being on the ocean. Thereby, it’s an important time to review the Marine Mammal Regulations!

It is every boat operator’s responsibility to know and follow these Regulations. They are Canadian law and changed significantly in 2018. The Marine Mammal Regulations specify minimum approach distances, mandatory reporting of collision or entanglement, rules regarding interactions with marine mammals, and much more.

In addition to the Canada-wide Marine Mammal Regulations, there are region-specific laws. An example is the Management Measures to Protect Southern Resident Killer Whales which are in effect on Canada’s Pacific Coast and were updated in April 2022.

Please visit www.SeeABlowGoSlow.org which is an information hub to Canada’s Marine Mammal Regulations, the 2022 Management Measures, including maps of sanctuary zones, and further best practices for the operation of watercraft around marine mammals.

A reminder too that there is an educational guide developed by the Marine Education and Research Society for the Canadian Power Squadron that details the laws and best practices for all watercraft operators around marine mammals. See www.boatblue.org for “Boaters and Marine Mammals – Safety and Stewardship”.

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