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.

Learn about the fisheries management measures in place to protect North Atlantic right whales in Canada

Report dead, injured or entangled marine mammals

On this page

• Fishery closures and openings
• Impacted fisheries
• Related links

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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
North Atlantic Right Whale - Notice to revoke prohibited fishing grid(s) HP21, HP22, HP23, HQ21, HQ22, HQ23, HR21, HR22, HR23, IA29, IA30, IA31, IB26, IB27, IB28, IB29, IB30, IB31, IC26, IC27, IC28, IC29, IC30, IC31, ID26, ID27, ID28, ID29, ID30, ID31, IE27, IE28	2024-11-21
Repealed: Interim Order repealed for the protection of the North Atlantic Right Whales (Eubalaena Glacialis) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 2024	2024-11-15
North Atlantic Right Whale - Notice to revoke all prohibited fishing grid(s) in the Gulf of St Lawrence	2024-11-15

Past fishery notices related to North Atlantic right whales

• 2024
• 2023

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