— Ottawa will order boats to give right whales a 100-metre buffer zone as it looks at every possible option to protect the endangered mammals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, says Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc. Twelve right whales have turned up dead in Canadian waters this year, and another four died in American waters. LeBlanc said he will soon be releasing new marine mammal regulations that will include a buffer zone. LeBlanc said future solutions could include new fishing gear that uses less rope, or rope that could be easily broken by whales. There are roughly 450 right whales left in the world, and Tonya Wimmer of the Marine Animal Response Society said that number is declining.

Source: National Post November 09, 2017 11:03 UTC