Federal fisheries minister Dominic LeBlanc has met with lobster fishermen who are upset by measures to protect the North Atlantic Right Whale including closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and not being able to fish in shallow waters.
LeBlanc says he will not change his mind about the measures because the entire industry could be put in jeopardy.
“If we don’t take robust, science-based coherent measures to protect these highly endangered North Atlantic Right Whales we’re really playing Russian roulette with the entire future of the Canadian fish and seafood industry,” he says.
While fishermen argue there isn’t enough scientific data to suggest right whales won’t go into shallow waters in the Gulf, LeBlanc says there is data to back that up in the Bay of Fundy and in U.S. waters.
LeBlanc adds he’s willing to work with fishermen who lose days and revenue to closures by opening up the lobster season in September.
