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North Atlantic Right Whale - Notification

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North Atlantic Right Whale – Notification
December 1, 2022

FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA

NOTICE TO FISH HARVESTERS

nf.22.281B

Dec. 1, 2022

North Atlantic Right Whale – Notification on requirements to implement lower breaking strength gear modifications in fixed gear, trap and pot fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Quebec

Newfoundland and Labrador Region  – December 1, 2022

Fisheries and Oceans Canada announces that the timeline for harvesters to implement lower breaking strength gear modification requirements in non-tended fixed gear, trap and pot commercial fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Quebec is extended to 2024.

Canada is committed to protecting North Atlantic right whales and supporting their recovery. We continue to prioritize measures to prevent entanglements of North Atlantic right whales in fishing gear, closing areas to fishing when and where right whales are detected, and removing lost, abandoned and discarded fishing gear. The Department is reviewing available information to ensure that lower breaking strength fishing gear is safe, effective at protecting whales, and readily available. This is important for supporting harvesters as they transition successfully to equipment that better protects endangered whales.

The Department will continue its support for various whalesafe gear trials in relevant fisheries with a particular focus on ropeless and rope-on-demand gear, and its engagement with industry, other stakeholders and Indigenous partners. During 2023, the Department will announce further details regarding measures to protect North Atlantic right whales in Canadian fisheries, including the approach to implement appropriate whalesafe gear requirements over time.

For more information:

Whalesafe Fishing Gear: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/mammals-mammiferes/whales-baleines/gear-equipement/index-eng.html

North Atlantic right whale protection measures: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/mammals-mammiferes/whales-baleines/narw-bnan/index-eng.html

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For information, contact:
Jackie Kean
Resource Manager
Tel. (709) 689-8246
E-mail: jackie.kean@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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Dr. Erin Carruthers

Dr. Erin Carruthers is the Science Director and Senior Fisheries Scientist with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor), which is the labour union that represents the owner-operator fleet in Newfoundland and Labrador. The FFAW is committed to research and management that supports healthy oceans, fisheries, and coastal communities. Dr. Carruthers received her Ph. D. in Biology from Memorial University in 2011 followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research. Before coming to Newfoundland, Erin worked as a Research Biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada at the St. Andrews Biological Station. Her current research program is co-constructed with fish harvesters and includes research on coastal fishing communities, collaborative longline and trap surveys, and best practices for the avoidance, handling and release of unwanted catch.