Ottawa, Ontario - The Government of Canada recognizes that protecting and sustaining aquatic species at risk is critically important to ecosystem health and thriving fisheries. To that end, the government continues to take concrete and comprehensive action to help protect endangered North Atlantic right whales from fishing gear entanglements and collisions with vessels so that the population can grow and rebuild.
Following two successful years during which there were no reported right whale deaths in Canadian waters, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Joyce Murray, and the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, have announced the fishery and vessel management measures for the 2022 season.
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada will again implement seasonal and temporary fishing area closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Bay of Fundy, and critical habitat areas where and when right whales are visually and acoustically detected.
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada will also continue addressing ghost gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, supporting networks of marine mammal responders, and working with harvesters to help them transition to whalesafe gear in 2023.
- Transport Canada's vessel traffic management measures include a speed restriction for all vessels over 13 metres, throughout much of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to protect areas where whales are detected. This year's measures take effect on April 20 to better respond to North Atlantic right whale presence.
Canada's dynamic right whale protection measures-founded on science and backed by the most comprehensive right whale surveillance program in the world-are making a difference in sustaining the right whale population, while also ensuring that harvesters can continue making a profitable living from the sea.
The Government of Canada is committed to implementing sensible protection measures, as necessary and in collaboration with other government departments, industry, non-governmental organizations, academia, Indigenous communities, and our U.S. counterparts, to ensure North Atlantic right whales have the best possible chance to recover.
