2025 fishery management measures

North Atlantic right whales

The North Atlantic right whale is listed as Endangered under the Canadian federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Canada has a suite of fisheries measures and initiatives in place in Atlantic Canada and Quebec to prevent entanglements.

Temporary fishing prohibition and seasonal fishing prohibition protocols:

• In areas subject to our temporary or seasonal fishing prohibition protocols (dynamic areas), if a right whale is visually or acoustically detected, a defined area around the position of the detection (approximately 2000 km²) will be closed to non-tended fixed gear fisheries, including lobster and crab, for 15 days.
• If a right whale is visually or acoustically detected again in the fishing prohibition  area during days 9 to 15, a fishing prohibition extension is triggered
  • In the Bay of Fundy and Critical Habitats in the Roseway and Grand Manan basins, if a whale is detected again during days 9 to 15, a temporary fishing prohibition of an additional 15 days will be applied.
  • In the Gulf of St. Lawrence (including around Anticosti Island, the Cabot Strait, as well as the Straight of Belle-Isle), if a whale is detected again in a fishing prohibition area during days 9 to 15, a season-long fishing prohibition will be implemented; the area will remain closed until November 15, 2025.
• If a whale is not detected again in a fishing prohibition area during days 9 to 15, the area will re-open to fishing after day 15.
• 2 flights with no right whale detections are required before an area can re-open to fishing. If flights are unable to go out during days 9 to 15 (e.g. due to poor weather conditions), the area will remain closed until 2 flights can safely take place to indicate whether whales are likely no longer in the area.
• Outside the dynamic area, fishing prohibition will be considered on a case-by-case basis, with special consideration for sightings of 3 or more whales or a mother and calf pair.

Provisions for waters shallower than the 20 fathom management line:

• Starting in 2025, shallow water areas are divided by the following management lines: 5, 10, 15, and 20 fathoms. Fishing prohibitions will be implemented following confirmed detections of right whales between shallow water management lines.  
• Non-tended fixed gear fisheries, including snow crab, rock crab, and lobster, conducted in waters less than the 20 fathom management line in the dynamic zone will be subject to a 7-day temporary fishing prohibition if a right whale is detected in waters shallower than the 20 fathom management line. The closure will extend to the next shallow water management line.
• The seasonal closure protocol does not apply in shallow water management areas. If a right whale is visually or acoustically detected again in the shallow water fishing prohibition area prior to Day 7, a fishing prohibition extension of 7 days is triggered.
• Within dynamic zones, starting in 2025 eligible harvesters will have the option to participate in a whalesafe gear pilot in shallow waters. Participation in the pilot will allow harvesters to continue fishing in shallow water fishing prohibition areas following a single right whale detection, when equipped with whalesafe gear modifications.
• These whalesafe gear requirements include using low breaking-strength gear modifications, complying with minimum traps per set trawl requirements, and reducing the number vertical buoy lines. This pilot project supports the advancement of Canada's Whalesafe Fishing Gear Strategy.
• Harvesters not participating in the pilot will be required to comply with shallow water fishing prohibitions. Their gear must be removed from the closed area for the duration of the fishing prohibition.
• If there is a detection of 3 or more right whales or a mother and calf pair in shallow water, a full fishing prohibition will be implemented where no fishing in the implicated area would be permitted for both pilot and non-pilot harvesters.

In waters outside of the dynamic and critical habitat areas

• In waters outside of the dynamic and critical habitat areas (meaning outside of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Bay of Fundy and critical habitat area of Roseway Basin), fishing prohibitions will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Special consideration will be given for detections of three or more right whales, or a mother and calf pair.

Effective tracking of fishing gear:

• Gear marking is required for all non-tended fixed gear fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, including lobster and crab. The gear marking requirements identify region, fishery, and, for lobster and crab fisheries only, the specific fishing area.

Mandatory reporting for lost gear:

• Mandatory lost gear reporting was established for all commercial fisheries as a condition of licence in 2020, and lost gear can be reported via the Fishing Gear Reporting System (FGRS), a free Government of Canada tool that helps Canadian harvesters meet their mandatory commercial lost gear reporting requirements.

Mandatory reporting of interactions between vessels or fishing gear and marine mammals:

• Any accidental contact between a marine mammal and a vessel or fishing gear must be reported.

Whalesafe fishing gear

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada is working with harvesters to implement safe and effective fishery-specific whalesafe gear requirements, based on gear trial results.
• Following engagement with partners, Canada’s Whalesafe Fishing Gear strategy is expected to be released in Spring 2025. The strategy will guide the development and use of whalesafe gear innovations such as on-demand gear (without a fixed vertical line) in fisheries across Canada, to prevent and reduce harm to marine mammals from fishing gear entanglements.

Continued monitoring and reporting:

• Detecting right whales visually and acoustically by aircraft and at-sea surveillance, and acoustically with hydrophones (underwater microphones) capable of near real-time detection on stationary buoys and mobile underwater gliders.
• Working together with multiple agencies to detect right whales, share data, and monitor active fishing areas, including closed fishing areas.
• Continuing research activities to better understand right whale behaviour, movement in Canadian waters, and how they are affected by environmental stressors.
• Whale Insight: Interactive map on the latest right whale detections

Addressing ghost gear

• Through 4 years of Ghost Gear Program Funding Fisheries and Oceans Canada has begun establishing capacity for ghost gear retrievals as well as responsible disposal and recycling of end-of-life fishing gear and trialed innovative technologies to prevent and mitigate ghost gear impacts.
• As of March 2024, 40,940 units of ghost gear and 928 km of rope has been removed from Canadian waters and shoreline.
• The Ghost Gear Program is now transitioning to a prevention-focused strategy, including the development of Gear Management Regulations and a Canadian Ghost Gear Action Plan by 2027. The Action Plan aims to provide a clear framework with actionable steps to improve the management of ghost gear across the country.

Marine mammal response:

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada continues to support the Marine Mammal Response Program, which aims to assist marine mammals and sea turtles in distress, including right whales.
• In collaboration with conservation groups and non-governmental organizations, the Department supports marine mammal incident response networks in all regions.

Engagement:

• Our adaptive management measures, which incorporate the best available science, were developed through close collaboration between our Department, the fishing industry, Indigenous groups, and leading right whale scientists to achieve the goal of right whale protection and recovery.
• A technical working group of harvesters, right whale experts, and Departmental officials meet regularly throughout the year to discuss management issues in related to right whales in Canadian waters.
• An annual North Atlantic right whale advisory meeting with stakeholders takes place each Fall.