Right whale protection measures to return ahead of migration into Canadian seas
The federal government has announced its fishery and vessel management measures for the 2022 season to protect North Atlantic right whales as the endangered animals migrate into Canadian waters.
Officials said in a statement Thursday the Fisheries Department will once again implement seasonal and temporary fishing area closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Bay of Fundy and other "critical habitat areas" where whales have previously been sighted.
They also say Transport Canada is again enforcing vessel traffic measures, including speed restrictions for vessels over 13 metres long, throughout much of the Gulf starting on April 20 to better respond to right whale presence.
As well, the Fisheries Department will be working with harvesters to help them switch to "whale safe gear" in 2023.
Oceana Canada campaign director Kim Elmslie said in a statement today the organization is pleased to see the measures aren't being weakened this year, but more can be done to protect the species with only 330 right whales left globally.
The conservation group is now calling on the government to shift to a permanent management approach with legally binding regulations, noting that ship strikes and gear entanglements are a threat to the species' survival.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2022.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Shameful': Monument honouring fallen soldiers included names of living veterans
Veterans are asking for answers after discovering that two sculptures in Ontario honouring fallen soldiers include the names of many people who are very much alive.
Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released
The Canadian military has released more details and an updated image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023.
Invasive species could be hiding in your Christmas decor. Here's how to stop the spread
Make sure to look through your holiday decorations, as Christmas trees, wreaths, and other natural decor can have invasive insects, eggs, and plants that pose a threat to local ecosystems and the economy.
The mysterious, mathematical origins of the world's most unusually shaped national flag
It's a go-to question at bar trivia: what is the only national flag in the world that isn't rectangular or square shaped?
Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward
The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer likely left New York City on a bus soon after the brazen ambush that has shaken corporate America, police officials said. But he left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park.
Notre Dame reopens its doors to Macron and other world leaders in a rare symbol of unity
France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral is formally reopening its doors on Saturday for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019.
Not just for your parents: Facebook's buy-and-sell platform drawing back millennials
The two-metre-tall anchor, believed to be from a century-old shipwreck, was salvaged by a fisherman in the 1980s. But last year, the 31-year-old Stapleton, who works as a navigation officer on a cargo ship, snapped it up on Facebook Marketplace.
Northern Ontario man sentenced for killing his dog
WARNING: This article contains graphic details of animal abuse which may be upsetting to some readers. A 40-year-old northern Ontario man is avoiding prison after pleading guilty to killing his dog earlier this year.
'If it ain't broke don't fix it': U.S. ambassador warns Canada against cutting Mexico out of trilateral trade deal
Cutting Mexico out of the current North American free trade deal 'may not be the best path to take,' says U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen.