Entangled North Atlantic right whale prompts fishing closure in Gulf of St. Lawrence

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has temporarily shut down part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to non-tended, fixed-gear fishing after an endangered North Atlantic right whale with gear entangled around its mouth was spotted northeast of New Brunswick Friday.

The whale was seen northeast of the Acadian Peninsula and northwest of Quebec's Magdalen Islands during routine aerial surveillance and was many nautical miles from land, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a news release Monday.

It's the first sighting of a North Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters this season, according to the release.

When a right whale is visually or acoustically detected in areas subject to previously announced closure protocols, a defined area around the whale's position — roughly 2,000 square kilometres — is closed to non-tended, fixed gear fisheries for 15 days, said spokesperson Kathryn Hallett.

Grids GW44-46, GX44-46 and GY44-46 are affected, starting Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Preliminary identification of the whale matches the description of the whale known as EG4510, Shelagh, an adult female.

"Fisheries and Oceans Canada's marine mammal response program will continue to monitor the situation to determine response options with our partners," the release said.

"If the whale is located again, and weather and sea conditions allow, efforts will be made to attempt disentanglement."

Officials don't yet know the type of gear involved or where it came from. These are typically only confirmed after investigation and, when possible, when gear is removed from a whale.

At least 4 documented deaths this year

Conservation groups believe there are between 350 and 360 North Atlantic right whales left in the world, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females.

There have been at least four North Atlantic right whale deaths documented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, this year — all of them female.

And at least three of the 19 calves born so far this year are believed to have died.

Last month, a North Atlantic right whale was found dead about 80 kilometres off the coast of Virginia, and her calf was not expected to survive without its mother.

Of the other three deaths, one was strangled by fishing gear near Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, another sustained blunt force trauma consistent with a ship strike off the coast of Georgia, and the third was found washed up on an island, also in Georgia, with severe propeller wounds to its head and mouth.

Fishery measures same as last year

This year's federal fisheries measures to protect North Atlantic right whales in Canadian waters are the same as last year's.

They include prohibiting fishing gear and activities, in areas where right whales have been spotted, for a certain period of time. And if a whale is spotted nine to 15 days after the fishing area has been closed, the closure is extended.

Fines of up to $250,000 can be issued for violations.

The measures, which took effect on April 17, remain in place until Nov. 15.