Fishing closures for North Atlantic right whale protection

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2019 North Atlantic right whale management measures

Map identifying all grid closures in Atlantic Canada due to the presence of NARW

To protect right whales, we put fishery management measures in place throughout the fishing season in Atlantic Canada and Quebec.

We’re focusing on preventing vessel strikes and entanglement by managing snow crab and lobster fisheries and all other non-tended fixed-gear fishing. Our fisheries management measures include:

  • a season-long area closure (static zone) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
  • if one or more right whales are detected anywhere in the Gulf of St. Lawrence or the 2 critical habitats in the Roseway and Grand Manan Basins, temporary closures (dynamic zone) will be implemented for snow crab and lobster fisheries (and all other non-tended fixed-gear fisheries)
  • outside these areas, special case-by-case basis consideration given to sightings of 3 or more whales or a mother and calf pair

2019 fishery notices related to North Atlantic right whales

Notice title Date issued
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid closure: GV36, GV37, GW36, GX35 2019-08-16
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid closure and re-opening: GU39, GU40, GU41, GY42 / HC43, HC44, HC45 2019-08-15
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid re-opening and closure update: GT37, GU37, GU38, GU40, GU41, HA40, HB43, HB44, HB45 / GU35, GV33, GV34, GV35, GW33, GW34, GW35 2019-08-14
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid closing and re-opening: GL31, GM31, GW34, GW35, HA37, HA38, HA39, GK31, GU35, GV33, GV34, GV35, GW33, GV37, GV38 2019-08-12
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid closing and re-opening : GK32, GL32, GM32, GW44, GX44, GY42, GY44, GY45, HA42, HA43, HA44, HA45, GM36, GV43, GW43, GW45 2019-08-09
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid closing : GX46, GX47(portion), GX48, GW47, GW48, GY47, GY48 2019-08-08
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid closing and re-opening: GV42, GU39, HA37, HA38, HA39 2019-08-07
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid closing and re-opening: GZ40, GL36, HC35 2019-08-02
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid re-opening: GS40, GS41, GS42, GT40, GT41, GT42, GU36, GU42, GV36, GV44, GV45, GV46, GZ40, GZ43, GZ44, HB35 2019-07-31
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid re-opening: GV42, GW43, GX43, GY43 2019-07-26
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GK33, GL33, GM33 2019-07-24
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GU37 2019-07-23
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid re-opening: HA41 2019-07-22
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of Fisheries Closing: HA44, HA45, HB43, HB44, HB45, HC43, HC44 and HC45 2019-07-21
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of Fisheries Opening: GW36, GX45, GX46, HB36, HB37, HB38, HC36, HC37, HC38 and GZ41 and a portion of grid GW45 2019-07-18
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GK34, GK35, GL34, GL35, GL36, GM34, GM35, GM36, GU38, GU39 2019-07-12
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GS40, GS41, GS42, GT40, GT41, GT42 2019-07-01
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: HB38, HC38 2019-06-29
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GU40, GU41, GU42, GV40, GV41, GV42 2019-06-28
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: HA37, HB35, HB36, HB37, HC35, HC36, HC37 2019-06-21
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GZ40, HA38, HA39, HA40 2019-06-20
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GZ38, GZ39 2019-06-19
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GZ44 2019-06-18
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GT37 2019-06-11
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GU36, GV36, GW36, GY40 2019-06-10
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GY38, GY39 2019-06-08
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery re-opening: GY47 2019-06-07
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: IA30, IA31, IB30, IB31 2019-06-06
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GV43 2019-06-05
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GX38, GX39 2019-06-04
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GX40, GX41, GY41, GY42, GZ41, GZ42, GZ43, HA41, HA42, HA43 2019-06-02
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid re-opening: GU36, GU44, GV36, GV42, GV43, GW36 2019-05-31
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GU39, GU40, GV39, GV40, GV41, GV46, GW39, GW40, GW41, GW46 and GX46 2019-05-30
North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of grid re-opening: GU42, GU43 2019-05-28
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GX42 2019-05-22
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales - Notice of fishery closure: GY43 2019-05-21
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales – Notice of fishery closures: GY44, GY45, GY46, GY47, GW46, GX46 and GX47 2019-05-20
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales – Notice of fishery closures: GV37, GV38, GW36, GW38, GU37, GU38, GU36 and GV36 2019-05-18
Presence of North Atlantic Right Whales-Notice of fishery closures: GU42, GU43, GU44, GV42, GV43, GV44, GV45, GW42, GW43, GW44, GW45, GX43, GX44, and GX45 2019-05-14
Announcement of the closure protocol for Gulf, Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec regions fixed gear fisheries in case of North Atlantic Right whale presence 2019-04

Impacted fisheries

Fisheries potentially impacted by right whale measures include:

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