Ottawa, Ontario - Protecting and maintaining a rich and diverse marine ecosystem is critical to the health of Canada's aquatic species and habitats. That is why the Government of Canada is once again implementing annual measures to safeguard the endangered North Atlantic right whale, protecting them from fishing gear entanglements and vessel strikes-the biggest threats to their survival.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, along with the Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, announced that the fishery and vessel management measures for the 2024 season remain unchanged from last year. These measures help support the ongoing protection and recovery of the species.
In 2024, the Government of Canada will continue to:
- Use adaptive closure protocols, such as seasonal and dynamic area closures for non-tended fixed gear, trap and pot fisheries in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Bay of Fundy, Roseway Basin, and other areas, where and when right whales are visually or acoustically detected.
- Apply gear marking requirements, lost gear reporting requirements and marine mammal disturbance reporting requirements.
- Apply vessel traffic management measures including speed restrictions throughout much of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to protect whales where they are detected, and an area restricted to vessels of over 13 metres in the southern GSL where right whales have been found to aggregate in larger numbers. This year, vessel traffic management measures begin as of April 17.
- Finalize a National Whalesafe Gear Strategy, including next steps to operationalize on-demand fishing gear.
Canada's North Atlantic right whale protection measures are based on the latest data, science, technological advancements and feedback from stakeholders. These measures help to ensure the sustainability of Canadian fisheries while giving North Atlantic right whales the best chance to recover.
