Switching to Whale-Safe Gear is a Heavy Subject for the N.L. Snow Crab Fishery
To protect critically endangered whales from threats posed by entanglement, the Government of Canada is expected to mandate the use of whale-safe gear in Canadian fixed gear fisheries by 2024.
Whale-safe gear involves incorporating weak elements in the design of standard fishing gear which will break with a specified amount of force, lower than the ropes currently in use. While whale-safe gear may protect whales and avoid fishing area closures, as well as shortened or modified fishing ...
Whale-Safe Gear Legislation Delayed Until 2024
However, DFO Says it Will Not Stop Required Fishery Closures
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) recently announced the timeline for harvesters in Atlantic Canada to implement lower-breaking-strength fishing gear has been extended to 2024.
The gear is meant to reduce the severity of entanglement by whales, particularly North American right whales and is designed to break under 1,700 pounds of force.
Alternatively, the department has also pitched ropeless gear as a ...
