New measures are being implemented to help protect the North Atlantic right whales.
With the deaths of 18 whales last year, Minister of Fisheries, and Oceans Dominic Leblanc says one of the measures is to have the snow crab season open earlier in area 12, with all fleets beginning simultaneously. All gear must also be removed from the waters by June 30th, which is two weeks earlier than last year.
“We are also increasing very considerably surveillance on the water and in the air in an effort to detect the whales. We are implementing license requirements for harvesters in certain fisheries to keep better track of the rope and buoys that they put in the water.”
A mandatory speed restriction will also be implemented from April 28 until November 15 for certain vessels, to a maximum of 10 knots when travelling in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Leblanc adds that this will include aerial surveillance, “There are new technologies that I have seen myself in some of these transport Canada aircraft. We are training more experts that are able to detect these whales. We will also be asking fishers and other marine partners who spot marine mammals to report the exact location. So we are going to have in 2018, the most robust and the most real time data we have ever had as to the presence of the whales.”
The following is a full list of the measures being taken:
– Imposing a mandatory speed restriction from April 28 until November 15 for vessels 20 metres or longer to a maximum of 10 knots when travelling in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence. The speed restriction zone may be changed as needed.
– Allowing vessels to travel at normal speeds in parts of two shipping lanes north and south of Anticosti Island when no whales are in the area. A 15-day mandatory slowdown of 10 knots will be activated within a section of the shipping lanes when one North Atlantic right whale is spotted and can be extended as needed.
– Opening the southern Gulf snow crab season earlier (if possible) and closing the season earlier with all fishing fleets in area 12 beginning simultaneously. All snow crab gear must be removed from the water by June 30, 2018, two weeks earlier than normally scheduled.
– Introducing temporary and fixed fisheries management areas and closures where right whales are observed.
– Lifting the pause on right whale disentanglements following a review of the risks involved and using advice from experts. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is committing $1 million per year to support marine mammal response groups, which is a significant increase from previous years.
– Reducing the number of traps in the midshore fishery in Crab Fishing Area 12 compared to 2017.
– Increasing aerial and at-sea surveillance to detect whales.
-Implementing licencing requirements at certain fisheries for harvesters to keep better track of rope and buoys, and mandatory reporting of lost gear.
-Adding a reporting requirement to all commercial licences that all interactions with marine mammals must be reported.
-Increasing the frequency that snow crab vessels are now required to report their activity on the water through Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) vessel monitoring system to ensure compliance with new measures
