The Oceans Act, 1996 and the Fisheries Act, 1985 provide policies and regulations to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all marine mammals. British Columbia has an internationally important role in conservation, because many of the species and ecosystems are found nowhere else in Canada or in the world (Fisheries & Oceans, 2017). An expert panel investigating the state of Canadian marine biodiversity has stated, that the government is failing to protect the country’s oceans, leaving marine life threatened, and the nation’s ocean species at risk (Bangs, 2012). The aim of this research is to address how the government applies the legislation when it comes to protecting marine life and what are the impacts as a result of it.
