Aquaculture Regulation and Enforcement Activities

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) regulates the aquaculture industry in British Columbia, including marine finfish, shellfish and freshwater operations. 

A Conservation and Protection (C&P) unit has been created under the B.C. Aquaculture Regulatory Program (BCARP), with the primary role of enforcing compliance with the Fisheries Act and the new Pacific Aquaculture Regulations. Ten fishery officers responsible for aquaculture enforcement are stationed throughout Vancouver Island in Campbell River, Port Hardy and Nanaimo.

DFO fishery officers conduct investigations and take enforcement actions based on site visits, information from the public and inspections undertaken by other DFO staff.

In addition to the enforcement activities conducted by fishery officers, Aquaculture Management has a team of dedicated veterinarians, biologists, fish health technicians, and resource managers who verify that the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations are being respected, and that aquaculture facilities are abiding by their conditions of licence. The data gathered by Aquaculture Management staff through site inspections and technical audits provide valuable insight into the environmental and operational performance of the aquaculture industry in B.C.

Enforcement Approach

In B.C., fishery officers perform three enforcement activities:

1. Education and Shared Stewardship
   • The Department promotes compliance with the Fisheries Act and the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations through education and awareness activities directed at both industry and the public.
   • Public education and awareness activities encourage Canadians to protect fishery resources and habitats. (see Observe, Record, Report for more information)
2. Monitoring, Control and Surveillance
   • Enforcement activities are carried out by fishery officers who conduct regular patrols on the land, on the sea and in the air. Fishery officers conduct inspections to validate licence reporting, and to determine compliance with aquaculture licences, conditions of licence and other applicable legislation.
3. Investigations 
   • Fishery officers respond to complaints and conduct investigations.

Additional information about fishery officer duties

Three C&P vessels are used by DFO’s aquaculture fishery officers to conduct site inspections and, as needed, to enforce compliance with the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations and the Fisheries Act:

• The MacLeod Bay
• The Weaver Bay
• The Max Bay

The MacLeod Bay, a 9.7-metre 320 SuperMax rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB), built by Titan Inflatables Ltd. of Sidney, B.C., is named for J. Ronald MacLeod, a former DFO employee and Officer of the Order of Canada recognized for his contributions to Pacific fisheries.

The Weaver Bay, a 9.7-metre 320 SuperMax RHIB, built by Titan Inflatables Ltd. of Sidney, B.C., is named after Kenneth E. Weaver, a Pacific Region fishery officer who died in an airplane accident in the line of duty September 2, 1948.

The Max Bay, a six-metre aluminum vessel built in Port Alberni, B.C., by Kamma Blake Industries, is named for Max Tscharre, a well-respected retired fishery officer dedicated to the protection of fish and fish habitat.

How You Can Get Involved

To assist fishery officers in identifying compliance issues that warrant investigation, it is beneficial for the public to be aware and involved. Visit Observe, Record, Report to find out how to make a report to the Department about concerns about something you have witnessed or experienced.

DFO appreciates your support and involvement.

Audit and Monitoring Activities

Aquaculture Management staff conduct a number of audit, surveillance and monitoring activities throughout the province to evaluate whether the aquaculture industry is operating in a sustainable manner.

Data on the operational performance of the aquaculture industry in B.C.

Current audit, surveillance and monitoring activities include the following:

• Fish health sampling
• Sea lice audits
• Atlantic Salmon Watch stream surveys
• Ocean bottom benthic habitat sampling
• Shellfish, Freshwater and Marine Finfish site inspections

Three made-in-B.C. vessels are used by DFO’s Aquaculture Management team to carry out these activities.

• The Salmon Bay, a  nine-metre vessel powered by twin 330HP diesel inboard engines based in Campbell River
• The Oyster Bay, a six-metre welded aluminum vessel powered by twin 90HP outboard engines, based in Courtenay
• The Sturgeon Bay, an eight-metre welded aluminum vessel powered by twin 220HP diesel inboard engines, based in Campbell River

The Oyster Bay

The Salmon Bay and the Sturgeon Bay are designed to deploy ocean-bottom sampling equipment, such as grab samplers for assessing soft substrates, and remote operated vehicles for assessing rocky substrates. The Salmon Bay has an onboard work station that supports field testing of certain samples as well as the collection of samples for future analysis for the possible presence of harmful metals. Both vessels conduct marine finfish facility inspections and fish health inspections. 

The Salmon Bay and the Sturgeon Bay

The Oyster Bay is the smallest of the three vessels and is used primarily for shellfish facility inspections and fish health and sea lice monitoring.