Fishery notices related to North Atlantic right whales
Acoustic detections of whales by hydrophones (underwater microphones), and visual sightings of right whales from vessels and aircraft, will trigger temporary and season-long fishing closures.
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Fishery closures and openings
Note: The grids are closed as of the date that a whale is detected. No new fishing activity is permitted. For safety reasons (based on the marine weather forecast), harvesters fishing in the closed area are provided with time to retrieve their gear.
| Notice title | Date issued |
|---|---|
| 2025 Fisheries management measures to protect North Atlantic Right Whales in Canadian waters | 2025-03-20 |
Past fishery notices related to North Atlantic right whales
Impacted fisheries
Some fisheries could be impacted by right whale measures:
- whelk
- lobster
- rock crab
- toad crab
- snow crab
- cod (fixed gear)
- herring (gillnets)
- mackerel (gillnets)
- Atlantic halibut (fixed gear)
- winter flounder (fixed gear)
- Greenland halibut (fixed gear)
Related links
- Working with our partners
- Whale Insight
- Report a sighting or incident
- Infographic: Protecting North Atlantic right whale
- Protecting whales
- Date modified: