Fisheries Department says right whale entangled in southern Gulf of St. Lawrence

The federal Fisheries Department says it has observed an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The department says it’s not clear what type of gear the whale is entangled in or where the gear came from.

The whale, seen between Quebec’s Iles-de-la-Madeleine and Miscou Island in New Brunswick, has been identified as Meridian, a 38-year-old male.

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The department says in a news release today the entangled whale was first spotted June 30, and marine mammal response partners are standing by in hopes of untangling the whale if it is seen again.

This is the second North Atlantic right whale entanglement reported this year in Canadian waters.

Authorities are also monitoring a 14-year-old female that was spotted entangled east of Gaspe, Que. in May.

2:16 New measures to protect North Atlantic right whales

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2022.