On September 16, 2025, in Vancouver, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) marked the close of Operation Sea Dog 2025—an international, multi-agency enforcement effort run in partnership with U.S. counterparts. The goal was straightforward: protect marine resources, strengthen fisheries compliance, and sharpen the flow of border intelligence.

From May through August, for two days each month, the Pacific became a stage for coordinated vigilance. Patrols fanned out across the Southern Gulf Islands, the Juan de Fuca Strait, and the Strait of Georgia. Officers inspected recreational salmon fisheries, monitored area-based fishing closures, and supported measures to protect Southern Resident Killer Whales.

A coalition on the water—and in the air

Operation Sea Dog drew together an enforcement roster from both sides of the border: the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG); U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations—Bellingham Air and Marine Branch; Washington State Fish and Wildlife Police; Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA); the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP); and DFO’s Conservation and Protection (C&P). DFO’s National Fisheries Intelligence Service (NFIS) anchored real-time intelligence sharing and coordination, ensuring that information moved as quickly as the tides.

What the numbers say

DFO officers participated in all four two-day sweeps. Over the course of the operation, they conducted:

  • 90 vessel-based inspections
  • 14 land-based vehicle and beach inspections

Those checks uncovered 34 violations, including:

  • Use of barbed hooks
  • Illegal shellfish harvesting
  • Fishing without a licence
  • Fishing during closed times
  • Retaining undersized crabs
  • Illegal retention of wild Chinook and Coho salmon

Each infraction represents more than a line in a ledger—it’s a reminder that compliance protects the long-term health of fisheries and the communities that rely on them.

Visibility as a deterrent

High-visibility patrols did more than catch violations; they signaled presence. The coordinated tempo—two days each month through peak season—kept expectations clear for anglers and harvesters. In parallel, the intelligence backbone provided by NFIS allowed partner agencies to pivot quickly when patterns emerged, tightening the net where it mattered most.