Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has announced the country is leading another mission to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the North Pacific Ocean.
DFO announced the mission – dubbed Operation North Pacific Guard – from the port of Yokohama, Japan, and labeled it a high seas mission to deter IUU. It marks the second time that Canada has lead an IUU operation in the North Pacific after the country lead the annual mission for the first time in 2023.
The latest mission will include high seas patrols, air surveillance, and satellite monitoring of the region in an effort to protect global fish stocks. Canadian fishery officers, along with officers from the United States Coast Guard and NOAA, will all take part in the mission.
“I have the greatest respect for the work of Canada’s fishery officers, who protect fish stocks, carry out important scientific research, and safeguard global marine ecosystems,” Canada Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard Diane Lebouthillier said in a release. “Canada and its fishery officers will always stand-up for law-abiding harvesters, whose livelihoods are threatened by illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.”
According to DFO the patrol will last two months and span over 7,500 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. The Canadian Coast Guard will be aboard the Sir Wilfrid Laurier, a multi-purpose vessel that is also an icebreaker that is now biofuel capable and supports activity in the Pacific and Western Arctic.
“The expert crew will conduct high seas boardings and inspection operations under international law to ensure compliance with regulations and to detect IUU fishing,” DFO said. “Fishery officers will also collect environmental data and water samples to support Canada’s understanding of the high seas environment, including the migration range of species of interest, such as Pacific salmon, and the levels of microplastics in the water.”
DFO said the mission has will feature two firsts for the Canadian Coast Guard. The announcement in Yokohama marked the first port visit of a Canadian Coast Guard vessel to Japan, and the Sir Wilfrid Laurier will be using a blend of biodiesel and renewable diesel along with conventional diesel fuel, the first time a mission has been conducted with a blend of alternative fuel sources.
“This is just one of the ways that the Canadian Coast Guard is reducing its environmental footprint while supporting the government of Canada’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050,” DFO said.
Canada has taken part in the annual North Pacific operation since 2019. The operation has uncovered illegal fishing in the North Pacific before, and in 2023 it discovered over 3,000 illegally possessed or stored shark fins including from threatened species like oceanic whitetip shark.
That operation inspected over 400 vessels and also collected environmental data to help Canada better understand the migration ranges of species of interest, like Pacific salmon.
“I am proud of the leading role Canada plays in protecting fish stocks threatened by IUU fishing, and in combatting marine ecosystem destruction,” Lebouthillier said after the mission's completion.
