What we heard report

A summary of comments from the Ministerial Roundtable on North Atlantic Right Whales

Next Steps

DFO is committed to working developing a long-term plan to mitigate threats to these endangered whales. It is clear that having experts, fishing and marine transportation industry representatives, scientists and Indigenous communities participate in these meetings brings a more diverse and complete understanding of the situation.

Moving forward, the Government of Canada will continue to work with partners on proposals that were discussed throughout the day, including:

• Actively exploring opportunities to adjust existing fishing gear immediately to reduce the risk of entanglements;
• Testing new gear technologies that would reduce the amount of rope in the water and lower the risk of whale entanglements;
• Adjusting fishing seasons to avoid periods when right whales congregate;
• Implementing measures to reduce lost fishing gear that poses a risk to whales and other species;
• Enhancing whale sighting and detection information, and timely sharing of this information among all those concerned;
• Considering seasonal speed restrictions in target areas and adjustments to shipping lanes based on accurate and timely whale sightings information; and
• Improving the collaboration and coordination across industry sectors, governments and non-governmental organizations to leverage the expertise on the protection and recovery of the North Atlantic Right Whale.

The Government of Canada now has a more diverse and complete understanding of the situation. It was clear all participants understood the urgency and the need to take concrete actions to protect the North Atlantic Right Whale.