Trial delayed for tour boat skipper accused of disturbing whale

The trial of a tour boat skipper accused of disturbing a whale has been delayed.

Walter Reddick, 63, of Tors Cove was scheduled to stand trial in provincial court in St. John's starting Tuesday morning, but Judge Jacqueline Brazil will first rule on a motion from prosecutor Anne Fagan.

Due to a judicial order from Brazil, CBC can't report the substance of the arguments by Fagan and defence counsel Kevin Stamp on the motion, which involves an expert witness for the Crown.

Reddickwas the skipper of a tour boat that allegedly got too close to a whale near Cape Spear in August 2014.

He's been charged with disturbing a marine mammal under the Fisheries Act, the first time such charges have been laid in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The charges date back to August 2014, when research scientists of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans were studying whales near Cape Spear while being recordedby a CBC crew.

RAW 2 boats under DFO investigation

10 years ago

Duration 1:40

DFO is investigating an incident where two boats were chasing whales

Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours, which offers iceberg- and whale-watching tours from St. John's and Twillingate, has also been charged.

That trial is scheduled to begin in June.