North Atlantic Right Whales. (Government of Canada)
The Government of Canada has unveiled its measures for 2020 to help protect the North Atlantic Right Whales.
With roughly 400 left in the world, the government says steps are being taken to help protect, conserve and recover this species.
Minister for Fisheries and Oceans Bernadette Jordan says one of the things they are introducing is a new seasonal closure protocol to replace the static closures.
Protecting North Atlantic #RightWhales: Season-long closures will now be applied to areas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence where whales are detected more than once in 15 days. Learn more: https://t.co/wg2Bk9cgiX pic.twitter.com/E3KacChS7v
— Fisheries and Oceans (@FishOceansCAN) February 27, 2020
“This means that if a single whale is detected in the Gulf of St. Lawrence by aerial monitoring or underwater acoustics, a protective area around the whale of approximately 2000 square kilometres will be closed off. Fish Harvesters must remove their fixed gear from the area for a 15 day period.”
If a whale is detected in that area again during that 15 day period, grids will be closed until November 15th.
The government is also expanding the temporary fishing protocol into the Bay of Fundy with a larger area than last year.
This year, the Department is also authorizing ropeless fishing gear trials in closed areas.
Jordan says new gear marking requirement are also being introduced in Atlantic Canada and Quebec.
The government will also work with the fishing industry on making other gear modifications to be phased in starting in 2021.
Minister of Transport Marc Garneau says these actions are guided by many factors, “These include the migratory patterns we have observed, the latest scientific data and input we have received from stakeholders, including the Marine Transportation Fishing Industries and Environmental organizations.”
To help prevent whale collisions with vessels, Transport Canada will:
-re-implement the mandatory speed limit to 10 knots in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence; and,
-continue to allow vessels to travel at safe operational speeds in parts of the shipping lanes north and south of Anticosti Island when no North Atlantic right whales are detected in the area.
New measures also include two seasonal management areas:
-restricted area in the Shediac Valley where vessels will be required to avoid the area or reduce their speed to 8 knots;
-a trial voluntary speed limit of 10 knots for the Cabot Strait for parts of the season.
All measures apply to vessels longer than 13 metres.
All of these measures will come into effect once the 2020 fisheries season opens for the spring.
They will remain in effect for the season from April to November.
