Right whales, wrong place
Fishermen in the Gulf of St. Lawrence are exasperated as efforts to save the right whale threaten their livelihood.
Q How did two right whales throw fisheries for a loop?
A Federal authorities ordered fishermen in certain parts of the Gulf off northern New Brunswick and Quebec to get their gear out of the water by late afternoon Tuesday as part of an effort to prevent the slow, lumbering animals from getting entangled. Marcel Godin, of the Island Fishermen Cooperative Association Ltd., in Lameque, N.B., said fishermen are “scared” because they don’t know what will happen next. “You can see a whale here tomorrow and they close a zone for 15 days. Two days after they are in another zone and they close that for 15 days.” Q Has anyone lost a job? A There is a report of up to 40 layoffs at the Ichiboshi fish plant in Caraquet, N.B. The CBC quoted a union official as confirming the layoffs, although the company did not immediately return a request for comment from The Canadian Press. Godin said the latest area closures come as snow crab landings are down by about half over the last two years. “Now with the zone they just closed ... we have boats in that area and what those will do is go to another area,” said Godin. “If they close another zone there will be less and less. The more boats you have in the same area the less will be the catch because of too many traps.”
Q How have catches been?
A Godin said the average catch per boat so far this season is about 10,000 pounds — a figure down from normal years, which saw anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 pounds of crab per trip. He is worried about the potential for further area closures, he said. “If we go that way and they close areas and the catch is low the (processing) employees will be doing less hours,” he said.
Q What is the whales’ situation?
A A total of 18 North Atlantic right whales were killed in Canadian and U.S. waters last year — mainly due to vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. In an email, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said a conservation and protection surveillance flight reported two right whales swimming just north of the 14,000-square-kilometre area that had already been closed to fishing for the season. “Temporary fisheries closures are pending and will be in place in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, east of Miscou Island and north of the area closed to fishing for the season,” the department said. Ottawa announced measures last month to protect right whales, including possible closures, restrictions on the amount of rope used and mandatory reporting of lost gear and whale sightings.