Canada announced it will still close fishing areas when right whales are present but authorities plan to step up surveillance to determine whether the whales remain.

The seizure is more than double the 136 traps pulled from Boundary Bay in 2020.

Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan said today in a news release that most of the so-called "ghost gear" collected were traps and pots from lobster and crab fishing.

After another summer of high mortality for right whales in Canadian waters, questions are being asked about whether Canada's slow response to the crisis could still be taking a toll.

Local members of Parliament announced the new $8.3-million Sustainable Fisheries Solutions and Retrieval Contribution Support Program in Dartmouth on Tuesday.