Protecting the North Atlantic right whale

The Canadian government is acting to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Dominic LeBlanc announced that the government will be shutting the snow crab fishery early in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and pledging to temporarily close other snow crab fishing zones if a right whale is spotted in the area.

“Following a devastating summer in 2017 and a worrying breeding season where no new calves were sighted this winter, we need to do everything we can to help ensure the survival of the species,” Mr. LeBlanc said.

The Globe and Mail reports:

The measures are the strongest move the federal government has made since the alarming discovery last summer of 12 dead right whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a rich fishing and shipping area.
An additional six right whale carcasses were also discovered in U.S. waters over the past year, bringing the cross-border death toll to 4 per cent.

The right whale is considered critically endangered with just 450 left in the world. Adding to the issue is that only 100 are breeding females and scientists say if last year’s death toll continues, the species is two decades from extinction.
Fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes are believed to be the primary causes of death. Previously, the Canadian government had imposed rules on the snow crab fishery to reduce the amount of fishing rope in the water, mark gear and report lost gear.