Ottawa, ON - Canada's seafood industry is a global leader in sustainability and innovation, driving economic growth, supporting coastal communities, and delivering the highest quality fishery products to U.S. market and other trading partners.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, welcomes confirmation from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that all Canadian fisheries received comparability findings under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This means our fisheries can continue to access U.S. markets for our fish and seafood exports, and that our deeply integrated economies can continue to support communities and jobs on both sides of the border. This result signals the strength of our industry's commitment to sustainability and marine mammal protection.
The Government of Canada is taking strong and necessary actions to protect North Atlantic right whales (NARW) and other marine mammals, supporting prosperous, sustainable fisheries. Our leadership on protecting right whales and other marine mammal species across Canada is demonstrated by our world class area closures to fisheries when and where right whales are detected, decisive actions we have taken to address ghost fishing gear, and our ongoing efforts to reduce harm of marine mammal entanglements through whalesafe gear testing and implementation.
Our work together, with harvesters and industry, gear manufacturers, Indigenous groups, non-government organizations and others has helped form Canada's world-class NARW management regime, and has led to successful outcomes such as removing 2,474 tons of ghost gear from Canadian waters. We're working closely with industry and others to introduce whalesafe fishing gear into commercial fisheries to mitigate entanglements, which will be guided by Canada's upcoming WhaleSafe Gear Strategy.
We appreciate the leadership, effort, versatility and collaboration demonstrated by Canada's harvesting sector as we continue to find the right balance to protect whales and the prosperity of Canada's fisheries. We look forward to continuing work with industry here at home and our international partners to ensure continued access to U.S markets for fish exports and sustainability of our fishing practices.
