Alerts Sign-up
A Vancouver-based film company and its drone operator have been fined $30,000 for unlawfully flying a drone too close to endangered killer whales in 2021.
Wildlife production company River Road Films pleaded guilty to the charges and was subsequently fined $25,000, while the drone pilot was fined $5,000. According to DroneDJ, this case marked the first time a fine was issued in Canada for the unlawful use of a drone to capture killer whale footage.
The company has had a tumultuous relationship with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), which investigated the incident. In 2020, River Road Films sought a permit to film the protected species, but the request was denied. However, the film crew continued to use drones and underwater cameras tracking orca movements on Vancouver Island.
