North Atlantic Right Whale Freed From Fishing Gear in Canada
July 7, 2017

CBC article: Right whale freed from fishing gear in Gulf of St. Lawrence north of Prince Edward Island

Thankfully this whale was disentangled by a skilled team that managed to get all the rope off. The whale has tissue damage and scarring from the entanglement but has a fighting chance now. Anytime we hear of a successful disentanglement it's a mix of emotions. We're thankful that this whale was freed but it's yet another painful reminder that these whales face a minefield of dangerous fishing gear as they simply move about their habitat. North Atlantic right whales are being seen more in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and it appears that it's because they have more access to food there. Unfortunately this area does not have the ship strike protections that the Bay of Fundy does and it also has a significant amount of fishing activity. We urge the Canadian government to immediately extend protections to this area in order to protect these whales. We will make sure to keep you all informed about any petitions or public comments regarding this situation.