The group is asking both countries to focus specifically on preventing ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement.

Vessels facing fines included two Coast Guard vessels and a luxury yacht.

There have been eight deaths reported since early June, and examinations of five of the carcasses showed three of them had injuries consistent with ship strikes - a leading cause of death for these rare mammals.

The animal, known as 3125, was first seen entangled in the gear on July 4 by a Transport Canada Plane east of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec.

Six right whales have been found dead in the gulf since early June.

There are about 400 North Atlantic right whales left, with deaths outpacing live births.

Comet, a 34-year-old male right whale, was pulled ashore on Norway, Prince Edward Island Friday. He was the third right whale found in Canadian waters.

DFO says the whale was spotted during an aerial surveillance flight over the Gaspé Peninsula

A sudden spate of deaths this year is in stark contrast to 2018, when there were no recorded deaths in Canadian waters.

A year after the population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales suffered devastating losses, Canadian officials say measures taken this season to protect the species have worked.