🦭 Respect Wildlife or Pay the Price: Seals, Birds & the Law in British Columbia
By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
July 14, 2025
British Columbia’s stunning coastlines and parks are home to incredible wildlife—harbour seals, Canadian geese, ducks, otters, gulls—but every summer, we see an increase in harmful, ignorant, or outright cruel behaviour by people who don’t understand the law, or worse, don’t care.
We are here to say loud and clear: STOP harassing wildlife. It’s illegal. It’s dangerous. And it can cost you thousands of dollars in fines.
🚫 Recent Incidents: What’s Going On?
- A seal pup was kicked into the ocean in Victoria by a tourist. The pup was left shivering and distressed.
- Another pup was grabbed by a person wading in the water trying to "help" it, disrupting its mother's return.
- Children and unleashed dogs are chasing ducklings and goslings in city parks. A woman had to wade into a pond to stop a dog attacking a duck family.
- Gulls, geese, and seals are being fed by hand or cornered for selfies.
This must stop.
⚖️ What the Law Says
Under Canada’s Marine Mammal Regulations (part of the Fisheries Act) and B.C.’s Wildlife Act, it is illegal to:
- Touch, feed, disturb, or interfere with a marine mammal (including seals and sea lions)
- Approach a seal, sea lion, or whale within 100 metres
- Harass birds and waterfowl (like ducks, geese, herons, gulls) or interfere with nesting
💥 Penalties can include:
- Fines from $345 to $12,000+
- Confiscation of boats, cameras, drones, or gear
- Criminal charges for repeated or malicious acts
In 2023, a B.C. boat operator was fined $10,000 for feeding seals. A jet skier in 2025 was fined $5,000 for approaching dolphins too closely.
🐾 Why Wildlife Needs Space
Seal pups are often left on beaches while mothers hunt. Human presence can scare off the mom permanently—leaving a healthy pup orphaned.
Ducklings and goslings can die from stress, injury, or drowning if chased by dogs or children.
Feeding wildlife changes their behaviour, increases dependency, and exposes them to harm.
✅ What a Good Human Does
- Keep dogs leashed at all times near water or nesting areas
- Stay back at least 100 metres from seals and marine mammals
- Never feed or touch wild animals—this includes birds and squirrels
- Teach children to observe, not disturb
- Report abuse to:
- DFO Marine Mammal Hotline: 1-800-465-4336
- BC Conservation Officer Service: 1-877-952-7277
🌊 Our Message: Be a Guardian, Not a Threat
We are lucky to share this province with such remarkable creatures. But with that privilege comes responsibility. Whether you're a tourist, newcomer, or lifelong local, you play a role in protecting them.
Harming wildlife is not just unkind—it’s criminal. Fines and charges will apply. And the emotional damage—to animals, to children watching, and to ecosystems—lasts even longer.
Please share this post widely. Education is protection. Respect is love.
🖌️ Blog by Zipolita | Tina Winterlik | @zipolita
💚 Advocate. Artist. Mother. Guardian of the Wild.
