Canadian officials say a North Atlantic right whale has been spotted entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says in a news release Monday that the whale was initially observed Saturday east of Miscou Island, N.B., and was later seen again by a survey flight that was jointly operated by the fisheries department and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Based on the aerial images, the news release says the New England Aquarium believes the animal to be a female calf, approximately one-and-a-half years old.
Get breaking National news
It says a tracking tag was successfully attached to the entangled fishing gear, which is meant to aid in efforts to disentangle the whale.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says it does not yet know the type of gear that the whale is entangled in, nor where the gear came from.
- More B.C. evacuees returning home Saturday, but told to prepare for changes
- Hawaii’s Big Island lashed by rain and wind as Tropical Storm Lala closes in
- Can Carney fast-track a pipeline while also protecting endangered orcas?
- Bear shot, killed after girl attacked in Maple Ridge was the right one, officials say
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered large whale species in the world, with the U.S. officials saying there are about 360 whales in existence and that an estimated 85 per cent of right whales have been entangled in fishing gear at least once.
Canada’s fisheries department said its Marine Mammal Response Program will continue to monitor the situation to determine response options and, pending weather conditions, disentanglement work may proceed in the coming days.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2024.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.