The federal government has introduced a five-year “whalesafe fishing gear strategy” aimed at reducing the risk of entanglement for the endangered North Atlantic right whale. This strategy includes two types of gear: on-demand equipment that uses acoustic signals and lower-breaking links that allow whales to escape. While the focus is currently on eastern Canada, the initiative will expand to the west coast and other whale species. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans emphasizes collaboration with harvesters to tailor solutions to specific fishing practices.
