Canadian commercial fishermen are facing additional fishing restrictions after several areas east of New Brunswick and Quebec, Canada, were temporarily closed due to the presence of right whales.
Two North Atlantic right whales were spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the coast of New Brunswick, Canadian Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a tweet.
The closures affect the snow crab, lobster, Atlantic halibut, winter flounder, toad crab, rock crab, and whelk fisheries.
Effective 22 May, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans temporarily closed several fishing areas in waters east of New Brunswick and Quebec, including: GW38, GW39, GW40, GX38, GX39, and GX40.
In late March, LeBlanc and Transportation Minister Marc Garneau announced increased protections for North Atlantic right whales, including restrictions on the country’s snow crab fishery.
Speed limits, a reduction in snow crab gear, and greater surveillance lead the conservation efforts, which are the latest in a series of reforms made by Canada in the wake of 18 right whale mortalities in 2017, including 12 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
