A partially submerged fishing net was snagged by a BC Ferries vessel near Nanaimo on Wednesday.
According to company spokesperson Donna Marshall, the Queen of Alberni was traversing the waters between Tsawwassen terminal and Duke Point near Nanaimo, when it picked up the net.
It was poorly marked and therefore got caught in the vessel’s propeller. The captain of the ship went astern to try and free the net as part of his training.
However he was unsuccessful, the fishing boat that set the net was towed backwards by the ferry until the net snapped.
The incident prompted Marshall to ask Fisheries and Oceans Canada to remind fisheries to “operate their vessels in a safe manner around ferry routes”.
