There was nowhere to hide for illegal fishing vessels on the high seas of the North Pacific, with crew members onboard the Victoria-based Canadian Coast Guard ship Sir Wilfrid Laurier patrolling the area for unreported and unregulated fishing.

After two months travelling an estimated 20,000 kilometres, the ship returned to Victoria on Oct. 28.

Among the findings of the mission were illegally harvested shark fins, evidence of fishing in closed season, unreported catches and instances of marine pollution.

Fifteen vessels, mostly Asian distant water fishing fleets and some from Russia, were boarded during the mission, known as Operation North Pacific Guard.

The boardings also presented Canadian officers with their first opportunity to enforce the newly adopted ban on Pacific salmon retention, which has been in force for North Pacific fishing fleets since July.

On board one vessel, approximately 20 tonnes of Pacific saury was found, worth in the range of $3 million, said Dustin De Gagne, senior program officer for conservation and protection with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), about the illegal and 鈥渟ignificant鈥� catch.

鈥淭his is a keystone species in the North Pacific,鈥� said De Gagne, explaining Pacific saucy is a forage fish vital to the survival of Pacific salmon.

But the illegal catch was not seized by the authorities, instead referred back to the country responsible for the vessel to follow up and investigate.

鈥淯nder international law, we are not able to actually make seizures of fisheries products or any kind of contraband relating to [illegal, unreported and unregulated] fishing 鈥� only if we are directed so by those authorities,鈥� said De Gagne.

Complementing the work at sea, Canada also conducted daily aerial surveillance out of Hokkaido, Japan. 

Working in collaboration with fishery officers from Japan and South Korea, DFO fishery officers and aircrew flew a total of 50,419 nautical miles over the course of 34 patrols, while visually inspecting 407 vessels. 

The coast guard says fishery officers reported incidents of 鈥渟hark finning, the targeted harvest of dolphins, pollution incidents, and vessel marking violations.鈥�

Canada is now working with the appropriate 鈥榝lag states鈥� to support further investigations and sanctions on the offending vessels.

Dark vessel detection

Supporting the crew onboard was a system known as 鈥榙ark vessel detection鈥�, which would identify boats on the high seas with their monitoring systems switched off, a possible indicator of illegal activity.

鈥淪o we have a big eye in the sky as you would say,鈥� said Richard Marriott, captain of Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

As the ship approached 鈥榙ark vessels鈥�, crew members noticed fleets would do a 鈥�180-turn鈥� to evade enforcement.

鈥淪everal other vessels within that range, or quite a few miles out, would be doing the same behaviour as if there was communication amongst the entire fleet to stop 鈥� scatter and move out of the area,鈥� said Wayne Johnston, officer in charge.

The deterrent effect is also very significant,鈥� added De Gagne. 鈥淏ecause there's very few enforcement vessels on the roughly 40 million square kilometres of high seas.鈥�

Eco-friendy fuel first

Recently re-powered with new engines rated for biodiesel and renewable diesel, the mission also marked the first use of an 鈥渆co-friendly鈥� biofuel 鈥� a blend of renewable diesel, biodiesel, and conventional diesel 鈥� by a Canadian Coast Guard vessel.

The biofuel reduced the Sir Wilfrid Laurier鈥檚 emissions by almost 80 per cent, said the ship鈥檚 captain, supporting the coast guard鈥檚 effort to achieve 鈥榥et zero carbon鈥� by 2050.

鈥淸It was] absolutely fantastic,鈥� Marriott adds when asked how the ship ran compared to previous voyages.

The increased efficiency of the ship was also noted by Randy Morford, chief engineer, who said the vessel returned with almost half a tank of fuel.

鈥淲hen we're full 鈥�. we have just under a million litres of fuel,鈥� he said, explaining previous missions would require a fuel refill during the patrol.

鈥淛ust by switching to the biofuels and renewable diesels, we've reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent.鈥�

World leaders at sea

This mission also marked the first port visit of a Canadian Coast Guard vessel to Japan.

Here, the crew were able to showcase not only their groundbreaking eco-friendly ship, but also the number of female crew members onboard. Something the Japanese Coast Guard found particularly inspiring, says Susan Pickrell, senior director of Western fleet.

Across the Canadian Coast Guard鈥檚 fleet, around 20 per cent of the crew are female, she says, but the Sir Wilfrid Laurier could boast 33 per cent onboard.

鈥淚 think the country should be very proud of the leadership that Canada is showcasing in this space, on so many different fronts,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he work that the fishery officers did was absolutely insurmountable for the importance in that international fishery forum.鈥�

鈥淵ou could say we鈥檙e world leaders,鈥� she adds.