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Whale Sighting Triggers Lobster Area Closure
10 Jun
Summary
- Lobster fishing area 24 on P.E.I. will close for two weeks.
- A five-year-old male right whale is entangled in fishing gear.
- Rescue efforts are underway to free the entangled whale.
A North Atlantic right whale sighting has led to a two-week closure of portions of Prince Edward Island's lobster fishing area 24. The P.E.I. Fishermen's Association announced that gear must be removed from affected areas by Thursday afternoon. This marks the fourth right whale sighting this spring season, impacting fishers near North Cape.
Additionally, a five-year-old male North Atlantic right whale was recently observed entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, approximately 90 kilometers from North Cape. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is collaborating with partners to locate the whale for a potential disentanglement operation, which will include attaching a satellite tag if possible.
The public is advised not to approach the rescue efforts. It remains unclear if the entangled whale is the same one causing the closures in P.E.I.'s lobster fishing area 24 this week. The origin and type of fishing gear involved in the entanglement are currently unknown.
