By Pete Thomas
Video circulating on social media shows a British Columbia commercial fisherman tossing an explosive device among dozens of sea lions resting on the surface, scattering the mammals.
The graphic footage has angered animal rights proponents and prompted an investigation by Canadian authorities, while it appears to have been published to show the extent of a sea lion “invasion” that some say threatens the livelihoods of fishermen.
Campbell River Whale & Bear excursions posted the video to Facebook Wednesday with the statement: “This video was shot over the weekend on a commercial seine vessel waiting for the Commercial Herring opening. I’m making this video public so the public is aware that this is happening repeatedly right now off Comox, Denman Island and Hornby Island.
We think this video was filmed by the BC Balance Pinniped Society who is trying to push a 50% Pinniped cull on the coast of British Columbia and Canada. This behavior is 100% illegal and goes against the Marine Mammal Guidelines.”
The Pacific Balance Pinniped Society first posted the footage Tuesday on its Facebook group page. The group stated that the “bear banger” device was used to scatter Stellar and California sea lions that were sitting over a massive school of herring.
The society wants Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans to expand indigenous harvesting rights to include the commercial sale of the seal and sea lion meat. The group believes a substantial cull would allow various fisheries to rebound, and create safer and more productive fishing conditions.
The society’s Facebook post, written by Thomas Sewid, begins by describing the scene before the explosive device was tossed: “This is what the herring test boats are dealing with at night right now. Theoretically darkness brings the herring to the surface, which makes it easier to catch them. The test boats are to toss rings with nets and drag up about fifty pounds of herring to sample for roe percentage content from the nets.
“Seeing as there’s such a high number of British Columbia resident Stellar sea lions and thousands of invasive California sea lions, the herring are being dove upon. This massive amount of sea lions diving on huge schools of herring scares them to stay deep. This makes it so captains cannot catch herring, for they’re too deep for nets.”
CBC identified the fisherman who tossed the device as Allan Marsden, and reported that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is investigating and might file charges.
The DFO stated in a tweet: “Reminder: It is illegal to disturb #seals, #sealions or other marine mammals. This includes the use of acoustic deterrents such as seal bombs or other explosives.”
Andrew Trites, who runs the marine mammal research department at the University of British Columbia, said of the video footage: “Throwing a stick of dynamite next to the head of an animal, you’re going to blow out its hearing. If it’s near its eye, you’re going to blow the eye out.
Trites added: “I know I’ve heard them say ‘Well it doesn’t hurt the animal.’ Well if that’s the case I would challenge them to hold that stick in their hand, light it and let’s film it.”
–Image showing Stellar sea lions is courtesy of NOAA Fisheries
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