Question Period Note: Entangled Humpback Whales

• The Marine Mammal Response Program supports the response to incidents involving marine mammals and sea turtles in distress across Canada, in collaboration with our partners.
• We have made substantial investments in the program over the past several years to support safe and timely response to incidents.
• This includes an additional $1 million annually to support response experts and operations as well as $4.5 million to build additional capacity in our response partners.
• DFO has been working closely with partners across Canada to locate, track and safely respond to the entangled humpback whales off the coast of British Columbia and Quebec.

• The Marine Mammal Response Program (MMRP) works with partners to track and respond to marine mammal entanglements, strandings (dead and live), ship strikes, and other threats; quantify threats affecting marine mammal species, with a special focus on species assessed as at risk; provide data and information to support Species at Risk recovery planning initiatives, mitigation options, and policy development.
• The Department is working with marine mammal response partners to ensure there is long-term capacity to respond to marine mammal incidents, such as disentanglements, and to develop capacity within Indigenous communities to provide response activities under the program.
• With increased funding, we were able to address gaps in national coordination, consistent service delivery, standardized protocols, central data collection, sharing of best practices, and technological innovations.
• On May 20, 2020, the first entangled humpback was reported in BC to be entangled in commercial prawn gear, and has not been relocated since.
• On June 7, 2020 the second entangled humpback was reported to be trailing a black float & rope. This animal was confirmed by the DFO marine mammal rescue team to have freed itself and is now gear free.
• On July 25, 2020, another entangled humpback was reported to be in recreational prawn trap and rope. DFO marine mammal rescue team responded but was not able to attach working line, and are attempting to relocate the animal to rescue or confirm gear has come free on its own.
• On July 26, 2020 another entangled humpback was reported in float and 280 feet of rope. The DFO marine mammal rescue team removed most of the line and are hoping to re-sight the animal to remove the rest of the gear or confirm animal gear free.
• On July 29 and August 2, two more entangled humpbacks were reported in seine nets and have not been relocated since.
• On August 31, another entangled humpback was reported across the border in US waters. DFO is working with NOAA to relocate the animal.
• On September 10, the entangled humpback named “Checkmate” was spotted and confirmed free of the recreational prawn trap and rope which was through the mouth/baleen.
• DFO and partners on the Pacific coast remain on standby to respond if these whales are resighted.
• The entangled humpback whale in Quebec region was first observed on July 26 near Port-Cartier, Quebec, North Shore. DFO Fishery Officers were not able to relocate the whale the next day. The whale was again resighted a week later near Matane, QC. On August 17, it was observed again in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park.
• Fishery Officers patrolled on August 24 but were unable to relocate the animal. On August 25, 26 and 27, weather conditions did not allow the search to continue. Since August 28, sea and air patrols have been keeping an eye on the situation, but to no avail for the moment.

Entangled Humpback Whales in Pacific Region
• To date, there have been seven live entangled humpback cases on the Pacific Coast. The DFO marine mammal rescue team has responded to all incidents.
• Two animals have now been confirmed to be gear free and the Marine Mammal Rescue Team continues work to locate other entangled whales.
• The team is now attempting to locate the humpback “x-ray” and another unidentified humpback who have been photographed with gear entanglements in the Salish Sea area.

Entangled Humpback Whales in Quebec Region
• An entangled humpback whale was first observed along the coast of Quebec on July 26.
• DFO and partners have been working together to relocate the whale using aerial and on-the-water assets, and to determine response options when it is found.
• When the entangled humpback is relocated, DFO fishery officers will attempt to attach a satellite tag to track its movements to allow response teams to further consider safe and effective disentanglement options.