Question Period Note: North Atlantic Right Whale

• The right whale is listed as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act since 2005. The Species At Risk Act listing means the Government has an obligation to protect and recover the species.
• My Department works with stakeholders to adapt whale protection measures and identify innovative tools that prevent fishing gear entanglements while also demonstrating Canada’s role as a global leader in sustainable seafood.
• Our world class right whale surveillance regime is comprehensive and complex. When a right whale is identified, we must act to prevent entanglements of a highly endangered species while minimizing impacts on our fisheries where possible.
• Canada’s robust, adaptive right whale protection measures are key to the sustainability of Canada’s seafood exports.

BACKGROUND:

• So far in 2024, there is one reported mortality and four entanglements first sighted in Canadian waters..
o The half carcass of a “probable” right whale was sighted off southwest Nova Scotia on May 12th by Transport Canada. The carcass was not retrieved and no samples were collected.
o EG 4510 Shelagh first sighted entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) aerial surveillance flight. Observed gear free in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on June 16 by a joint DFO/National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) aerial survey crew.
o The juvenile right whale (2023 calf of EG1812) first sighted entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence June 22 was successfully disentangled by the Campobello Whale Rescue Team with assistance from DFO in July.
o Unknown right whale sighted entangled on June 11, 2024 by Transport Canada 20 km south of Anticosti in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It has not been resighted.
o An adult male right whale, EG 1271 (Dropcloth), was first sighted by DFO entangled on July 27 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• In April 2024, the Minister announced the 2024 North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) fisheries management measures, which remain unchanged from 2023.
• In 2023, DFO continues to apply adaptive measures to prevent fishing gear entanglements, such as: changes to the open and closure dates of fisheries; dynamic and seasonal closure protocols in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; dynamic closure protocols in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Bay of Fundy, and critical habitat areas (Grand Manan Basin and Roseway Basin); and special closure provisions for sightings of whale aggregations, mother and calf pairs and waters shallower than 20 fathoms; focused surveillance using acoustic underwater technology (hydrophones), aircraft and vessels to confirm the presence of whales; continued ghost gear retrieval; and collaborating with Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard to address the potential threats from vessel strikes.
• The Department is finalizing the National Whale Safe Gear Strategy and shared a draft with stakeholders in July 2024.
• On October 23, 2023, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium released the most recent population estimate of 356 whales, which indicates a slowing in decline.
• The Annual NARW Advisory Committee meeting was held in November 2023, preceded by a targeted meeting with Indigenous groups.
• In 2021, the Department launched the Whalesafe Gear Adoption Fund, a two-year $20 million contribution program to support the purchase, adoption, testing and manufacture of whalesafe fishing gear, including lower breaking strength modifications and ropeless/rope on demand systems. This program supports 34 projects across Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
• Since 2018, DFO has invested over $5.7 million to further enhance the Marine Mammal Response Program, which responds to marine mammals in distress, including disentanglement of NARWs. This funding is part of the $167.4 million Whales Initiative in Budget 2018 and $151.9 million in Budget 2023.
• The NARW was listed as Endangered in the Species at Risk Act in 2004. It is predicted the species could become extinct in 30 years if the mortality rate is not significantly reduced.
 

If pressed on how we have worked with harvesters to adapt right whale protection measures
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada has made modifications to its closure protocols over the years based on input received from industry, provincial governments, Indigenous communities, academia, and whale experts. This cooperation is critical to protect this species and to support sustainable fisheries.
• The Department is also working with harvesters in non-tended fixed gear, trap and pot commercial, communal commercial fisheries, and with other relevant partners, to incorporate whalesafe technology and practices into their operations, identifying the most suitable and safe options for the conditions of each fishery.
• We will continue to work with harvesters and experts to develop a made-in-Canada approach on whale-safe fishing gear, including a path forward on rope-on-demand fishing gear.