Entangled right whale spotted in Gulf of St. Lawrence

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was spotted entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but the animal has not been identified and officials do not yet know what kind of gear it is caught in.

The department said a surveillance flight saw the whale on Oct. 21 in the Bradelle Bank region, between New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula, Prince Edward Island and Quebec’s Îles-de-la-Madeleine. The entanglement was not noticed until scientists and other experts reviewed the footage this week, the department said.

If the whale is located again, officials plan to attach a satellite tracker to the gear and try to free the animal, the department said.

The entire North Atlantic right whale population is estimated at just 384 animals, according to the department.

The sighting was first reported by The Canadian Press. The story is developing, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada has not said whether the whale has been seen since Oct. 21.

The sighting comes as marine mammals remain in the news across the country. Our earlier report on the deaths of Marineland belugas after their transfer looked at the pressures on captive and wild whales, and we have also covered changes to wetland rules in Alberta.

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