North Atlantic Whale
Lobster fishermen will find out Monday how a number of rare and endangered North Atlantic right whales that are lingering longer than usual in the Bay of Fundy will affect their season. As many as 50 of the slow-moving whales have been reported along the southern New Brunswick coast in the last week, about a month after the large mammals have usually moved on to southern waters. The federal Fisheries Department is worried that a maze of ropes attached to hundreds of lobster traps when the season begins on Tuesday will put the whales in danger. Fisheries spokesman Steven Wilson said at least 20 whales were spotted from the air on Saturday, though fog made it difficult to count them on Sunday. Wilson said Fisheries officials will talk to three associations that represent more than 300 lobster fishermen in the area on Monday to discuss what needs to be done to protect the whales. “We’re going to do whatever we can to try to make sure that the lobster fishermen can get going,” said Wilson. “But at the same time, we need to be conscious of the situation and the right whales.” If the whales haven’t left by Tuesday, options range from limiting the areas where fishermen can lay their traps to delaying the start of the season. Wilson said a fisherman reported seeing two of the whales farther south than where the animals were last reported, which could be a sign the whales are on the move. The total population of North Atlantic right whales is estimated at no more than 350. About 80 are breeding females. The population is estimated to be declining at a rate of two per cent per year.