Making Fishing Gear Safer for Whales
Official title: Whalesafe Gear Strategy
Why This Matters
North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with fewer than 350 left. Fishing rope entanglements are a leading cause of death. If you eat lobster, crab, or other seafood from Atlantic Canada, this affects how your food is caught. Fish harvesters face real costs to switch gear, but also risk losing access to fisheries if whale deaths continue.
What Could Change
New regulations could require all fixed-gear fisheries to use whale-safe equipment. That means ropes that break at 1,700 lbs of force, or rope-on-demand systems that keep lines off the seafloor. The $20 million Whalesafe Gear Adoption Fund has already supported 30+ projects testing these technologies. The final strategy will determine which gear becomes mandatory and when.
Key Issues
- Which whale-safe gear technologies work best for different fisheries and conditions?
- How can the transition to new gear be made affordable for fish harvesters?
- What timeline should be set for mandatory adoption of whale-safe gear?
How to Participate
- Review the Whalesafe gear trial results symposium to see what gear testing has revealed so far.
- Contact DFO through their contact page for questions about the strategy.
What Happened
The consultation gathered input from industry, First Nations, and stakeholders. Over $20 million was distributed through the Whalesafe Gear Adoption Fund to support 30+ projects testing low breaking-strength ropes and rope-on-demand systems across Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Trial results were shared at a symposium with partners.