Fishing zones closed after North Atlantic right whale sightings

A number of fishing zones in the Gulf of St. Lawrence have been closed after two North Atlantic right whales were sighted off Miscou Island Sunday.

The closures of the nine grids were effective Friday at 5 p.m.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada had allowed a96-hourdelay of thegrid closures due to the weather forecast. All of the gear affected had to beremoved from the closed area before the time of closure.

All gear from any fishing season that wasopen at the time of the closure hadto be removed including snow crab, toad crab, rock crab, lobster, whelk, Greenland halibut (fixed gear) and winter flounder (fixed gear).

The closures would also be in effect for Atlantic halibut (fixed gear), mackerel (gillnet) and herring (gillnet) when gear is left unattended.

A Fisheries and Oceans Canada aerial surveillance crew had spotted the animals swimming in the middle of the gulf, more than 100 kilometres northeast of Miscou Island. A Dalhousie Universitywhale-tracking mapshows the most recent detections.

Researchers try to keep a close eye on the movements of the critically endangered species, in part to help inform government-imposed protective measures.

This is thefirst season with new protections in place thatOttawa announced in late February. Those protections werein addition to existing measures such as vessel speed limits and changes to the fishing season calendar.

New rules

This year a fishing zone in the gulf will be closed until the end of the season on Nov. 15 if whales are detected in that area more than once during a 15-day period. Previously, the zone would be re-opened after 15 days.

Temporary fishing closures will also expand further into the Bay of Fundy.

• Season-long fishing closures possible under new protections for endangered whales

• Researchers worry pandemic creating gaps in North Atlantic right whale tracking

The government also introduced special restricted areas that vessels will have to either avoid completely or in which their speedmust be reduced to eight knots.

Fisheries are also required to mark their gear to identify the country, region and fishery it was used in, in an effort to help trace the gear after an entanglement.