B.C. fisher fined for tossing explosive device at sea lions off his boat

OTTAWA — A B.C. fisher was fined $8,000 last month and banned from possessing explosives for three years after he threw an explosive device into a group of sea lions in March 2019.

Video footage posted to social media last year showed Allan Marsden throwing what is known as a “bear banger” off the side of a boat near Hornby Island in British Columbia.

The video showed a large number of sea lions that were swimming near the vessel become startled and then swim quickly away after the device exploded in their midst.

Marsden, a herring fisher, told The Canadian Press last year he threw the device to scare the sea lions away from his boat.

He pleaded guilty Aug. 24 to an offence under regulations of the Fisheries Act that prohibit someone from disturbing marine mammals unless they are specifically fishing for them.

He was originally charged with two counts under the Fisheries Act and one count under the Explosives Act.

The charges were laid in February, but the hearing was delayed from March until August because of COVID-19.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2020.

The Canadian Press