The federal government is rolling out its “whalesafe fishing gear strategy,” a five-year plan to develop and support the use of new fishing gear to reduce the risk of entangling whales — specifically the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
“The whalesafe gear strategy is our next step as a government to work with harvesters, Indigenous harvesters and non-Indigenous harvesters and whale experts, to figure out a spectrum of tools from the cost perspective,” Brett Gilchrist, director of national programs with DFO, said on Tuesday during the program’s announcement.
Whalesafe gear falls into two categories: on-demand gear, which uses acoustic signals to lift fishing pots from the ocean floor and removes vertical ropes in the water, and lower-breaking links, designed to break at 1,700 pounds of force, meaning it’s easier for whales to free themselves if they become entangled.
Gilchrist said lower-breaking links can be relatively inexpensive, whereas on-demand gear is pricier. He said the whalesafe strategy will both help advance gear development and bring down the price.
Gilchrist said there is no word on funding to support harvesters in obtaining whalesafe equipment.
DFO halts fishing when right whales are spotted in a fishing area. It requires harvesters to pull out their equipment from the water unless they are using on-demand equipment.
While the federal government’s current focus is on North Atlantic right whales in eastern Canada, Gilchrist said the effort will eventually expand to the west coast and other species.
Gilchrist said areas considered at risk of whale entanglement will be required to have some type of whalesafe gear in place. However, the same tools won’t be required in every location for every type of fishery.
The goal is fewer dead whales. DFO plans to use new gear to reduce entanglements
DFO said it will work with partners to access fisheries across Canada, and identify areas with a high risk of whale entanglement.
Gilchrist said DFO will support testing and implementation of gear modifications and systems to alleviate harm to whales.
“This is part of our tool box approach. Fisheries need whalesafe gear solutions tailored to their own specific needs and realities,” he said.
Speaking with CBC Radio’s The Broadcast prior to Tuesday’s announcement, Hanna Vatcher of the environmental group Oceana Canada said right whales are critically endangered. The population is about 380, and only 70 are in the reproductive population.
Vatcher said the effort to protect right whales needs to go beyond whalesafe gear, which she said doesn’t always work as intended.
“We are really calling for, you know, more testing and more funding to advance on-demand fishing technology,” she said.
Nick Coady, a Marine Institute PhD student testing whalesafe fishing gear for the 4R lobster fleet off Newfoundland’s west coast, is hoping to speak with fish harvesters about the gear and see how it’s being used.
“It’s fine [and] dandy to say that this stuff is going to be successful at protecting whales,” said Coady. “It has to fit into Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishing practices.”
He said whalesafe gear should also be affordable.
“We understand that the harvesters use ropes that are plenty strong so they don’t lose their gear, and that this is kind of the opposite idea. But this is just creating a weak point that’ll separate,” said Coady.
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