Protecting the North Atlantic Right Whale along with trying to keep fishing communities at work has drawn concern and anger, and MP for Southwest New Brunswick, Karen Ludwig, is speaking out.
This week, lobster fisheries in the Bay of Fundy were told to pull up their gear when the Department of Fisheries and Oceans were notified of a lone traveling right whale in the area.
President of the Grand Manan Fisheries Association, Brian Guptill stated DFO may have jumped the gun with the temporary closure, telling Acadia News what upset him the most is the fact they’ve had whale mitigation plans in place for a long time and weren’t asked about them when the decision was made to tell lobster fisherman to take in their gear.
MP Karen Ludwig says in a statement, “Although these closures are a real challenge for harvesters in our coastal communities, we need to get this right, or we put at risk the certifications that permit us to export $6 billion dollars of seafood to international markets annually.”
She says the measures put in place by DFO in April of this year will be reviewed in consultation with industry ahead of next year.
“The study by the Standing Committee of Fisheries and Oceans this fall, as a result of my Private Members Motion, will draw out the effectiveness and impact of measures that have been implemented to date, and recommend changes.”
Ludwig adds, “We need to do this for the long-term sustainability of our fishery and the livlihood of harvesters in our coastal communities.”
