An eighth North Atlantic right whale has been found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in eastern Canada, and another right whale was been spotted ensnared in fishing gear.
North Atlantic right whales are considered critically endangered, with fewer than 500 individuals remaining, and any reduction in the population is considered a blow to the species’ chance of recovery.
The dead whale was spotted by plane on Wednesday, 19 July by the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), according to CBC News. It is being towed by Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans to shore, where it will undertake a necropsy to seek to determine the cause of death, according to a statement from the department.
As of the morning of Friday, 21 July, the DFO had given no update on the entangled whale, which it said on 19 July was spotted by NOAA nearby the location where the dead whale was discovered. Due to the DOF’s previously declared pause in disentanglements – announced after the death of whale rescue specialist Joe Howlett on 10 July – it has decided to monitor the entangled whale and consult with experts on the safest course of action.
In response to the whale deaths, DFO said Thursday, 20 July that it has closed Snow Crab Fishing Area 12 – waters off the coast of New Brunswick, including most of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and areas nearby the Magdalen Islands – according to the CBC.
"We understand the impact this could have on fishers. However the recent whale mortalities in the area are unprecedented and this closure is an important measure to address the situation," DFO said in its statement.
The effect on the fishery should be minimal, given that 98 percent of the allowable catch in Area 12 had already been harvested, DFO said.
Also, on Tuesday, 18 July, NOAA made the decision to allow disentanglement rescues to resume for all large whales except right whales
Chris Oliver, assistant administrator for the fisheries division of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said right whales are still excluded because their unpredictable behavior is particularly dangerous for rescuers.
