A Day in the Life of a Fisheries Officer

“Do you get seasick?” officer Mandy Ludlow asked me moments after meeting on the dock. “Only in bad seas,” I replied, apprehensive at the question. The day before my ride-along, the government issued a wind warning on the Strait of Georgia, so my day was the aftermath of that weather front. While the Sidney inlet was calm and measured, I appreciated the shockwave seats (chairs fitted with suspension) as we punched through the rough seas in the Trincomali Channel. I had met Mandy Ludlow and Mya Cormie at the ferry terminal in Brentwood Bay for my arranged ride-along with them. Both work as Conservation and Protection (C&P) officers with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), enforcing regulations and promoting conservation. Both of their jobs include conservation tasks and educational roles, as well. At this end of this article, you’ll find resources if you are interested in a career path with the DFO.

Working at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)

Ludlow, the detachment commander for the Victoria branch, has spent the last 15 years working on the western coast, from Bella Coola to the Lower Mainland. She saw a lot of action around Vancouver where there was heavy poaching, and consequently made a fair number of arrests. Now, working as Detachment Commander, Ludlow functions as an intermediary with senior management and manages assets and money, but still makes it out on patrol as much as she can.

Cormie, a field supervisor, also traveled the west coast as a fisheries officer, working as far north as Whitehorse, patrolling freshwater systems and the inside passage. Cormie also worked with DFO in conjunction with the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), comprised of Japan, China, South Korea, the US, Russia, and Canada. This operation focuses on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities on the high seas. While in this position, she flew surveillance looking for driftnets, which have been banned by the UN since 1992. These nets can be 20 – 30 km long and be 10 – 15 m wide, indiscriminately killing dolphins, whales, and other bycatch species.

DFO Conservation Officer Cormie docking at Brentwood Bay Marina

According to Seafood Source, the US Coast Guard—in conjunction with the NPFC operation—seized 80 tons of illegally caught chum salmon and one ton of illegally caught squid. While neither Ludlow nor Cormie participate in these large-scale efforts any longer, patrolling south Vancouver Island is not short of action.

Roles of Conservation and Protection Officers

Cormie scans this popular crabbing spot for illegal buoys

The Victoria branch of fisheries officers’ patrol area extends from Mill Bay all the way to Port Renfrew. But as Ludlow notes, with only three officers in the Victoria branch patrolling this area, it can be too much at times. After graduating with resource management degrees, Ludlow and Cormie, similar to the angler community, feel passionate about ensuring the continued survival of species like salmon, shellfish, and all the other organisms that call BC waters their home. While leaving policy decisions to upper management, their job is to enforce regulations to protect sensitive ecosystems, so anglers can continue enjoying their favourite avocation. During my ride-along, we spent a lot of time checking licenses and possession limits of crabs and prawns. It was also during a regulation change regarding crab and prawn buoys, so Cormie was handing out pamphlets, informing people who were unaware of the recent change. Ludlow informed me that while this type of enforcement is typical in April, fisheries officers target a broad array of activities. The opening of salmon and lingcod are busy times of the year where a majority of enforcement is geared towards protecting these sensitive species. An important focus of their efforts is the protection of conservation zones, paying close attention to closed rockfish conservation areas (RCAs) and closed shellfish areas due to contaminants/pollution or seasonal considerations. Another of the many ocean-based enforcement operations includes protecting the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. So high on the agenda is also enforcement of no fishing zones, speed restrictions, and interim sanction zones (as per the new DFO measures to manage and protect SRKWs).

Cormie checks fishing licenses and a haul of crabs, Ludlow at the helm

C&P officers also do surveillance operations from the land, water, and air. While I was on the water for my ride-along, I discovered that land enforcement is another key component of a C&P officer’s job. Officers conduct investigations to prevent illegal fish sales in processing plants, retail venues, and restaurants. Land enforcement also includes preventing destruction of fish habitat by construction and other forms of land misuses. In such cases, C&P officers rely greatly on public reporting for when an individual witnesses a heavily polluted stream from, say, construction run off, or people are seen driving on riverbeds. Essentially, land enforcement covers what Ludlow says is “any activity that causes the destruction of fish habitat.” While these are chargeable offenses, both Cormie and Ludlow note that tickets are not their only enforcement strategy.

Education, Enforcement, and Penalties

While fines and penalties are certainly ways to reform behaviour, it is not officers’ only strategy to create voluntary compliance. A large role of a C&P officer pertains to informing the public and creating awareness around how their actions impact fish habitat and the greater environment. C&P officers attempt to educate people and are not out there merely to punish. It will come as no surprise to anglers that regulations are complicated, so officers take this into consideration. For instance, if you don’t use rot cord (degradable cotton twine rope) on your shellfish traps, then they are more likely to issue a warning and request that you make a change than they are to seize your gear and fine you.

Enforcement activities of the Fisheries Act are found here. According the DFO website, “A key element to the increased enforcement capacity is the recent award of a 5 year, $128 million contract to PAL Aerospace, an international aerospace and defense company based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Under the contract, the FASE program will be enhanced with 3 bases of operation: (St. John’s, NL; Halifax, NS; Campbell River, BC) that will host 4 surveillance aircraft, including 2 long-range aircraft.”

How To Become a Fisheries Officer

Among the other requirements to become a C&P officer, Ludlow and Cormie recommend pursuing relevant experience opportunities in any fisheries-related position and completing a bachelor’s degree. There is a 4-month period of paid training followed by 30 months of working under supervision before the training period is finished. Ludlow notes how limited the important work of C&P officers currently is with the officer shortage in Victoria, as Mill Bay to Port Renfrew is a massive patrol area. These officers invest immense amounts of time and energy into the protection of our oceans, whether locally or internationally. They work in the background to secure a resource many of us depend upon for our hobbies and livelihoods. DFO details, resources, and application forms are found here which states, “You’ll need to be mentally and emotionally prepared to deal with confrontational and sensitive situations, including the potential for use of deadly force. As a fishery officer, you’ll be trained to face these kinds of challenges and be ready to tackle any situation.”

Career / Job Openings at Fisheries and Oceans Canada

If you are interested in a career in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada visit this page for full details. Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard have been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for Young People (2024).

This article appeared in Island Fisherman magazine. Never miss another issue, subscribe today!