Ottawa launches five-year fishing strategy to protect whales, reduce entanglements

An aerial survey team spotted an entangled North Atlantic right whale off the coast of North Carolina on December 16, 2024. (Source: NOAA)

The federal government is launching a five-year strategy to protect whales — including the endangered North Atlantic right whale — by implementing safer fishing gear technology.

The Whalesafe Fishing Gear Strategy seeks to prevent whale entanglements by using on-demand or “ropeless” fishing gear on the east and west coasts. On-demand gear uses acoustic signals from boats to bring up fishing pots from the ocean floor, removing the need for vertical ropes.

The strategy also advocates for rope that is designed to break 1,700 pounds of force, which would make it easier for entangled whales to free themselves.

Entanglements in fishing equipment can often prove fatal to whales. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration reported an entangled four-year-old male North Atlantic right whale was found dead off the coast of North Carolina last week.

“Whalesafe gear solutions for Canadian fisheries are an important part of Canada’s sustainable seafood industry,” the strategy reads. “Working in partnership with industry, whalesafe gear implementation supports market access, diversification and competitiveness by helping Canadian fisheries obtain eco-certifications and comply with import requirements of other nations.”

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says the strategy will initially focus on the East Coast with a long-term plan of implementing measures nationwide by 2030. In select eastern Canadian fisheries, ongoing gear testing will allow harvesters to fish in areas that are closed due to right whale detection if their gear has whalesafe modifications.

The strategy is comprised of five goals:

• develop policies and legal instruments to support responsible use of whalesafe gear
• identify fisheries with a high risk of whale interaction and entanglement
• address knowledge gaps on the implementation of whalesafe gear
• identify management areas with a high risk of entanglement to allow for testing and the implementation of on-demand gear
• test and implement other gear modifications, devices or systems to prevent and alleviate whale entanglement harm

“Harvesters have been leading the way on safer gear and innovative fishing practices for years,” said Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson in the release. “This Whalesafe Fishing Gear Strategy builds on that work, bringing more tools into the fisheries where they can help reduce entanglements, protect whales, and keep crews safe on the water. We’ll keep working closely with industry, Indigenous partners, and experts to expand what’s proven, practical, and ready to use.”

There are roughly 380 remaining North Atlantic right whales and only 72 reproductive females.

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