Parts of two lobster fishing areas are set to close once again on Friday following the detection of another North Atlantic right whale off the northeastern coast of Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.). Over 100 fishers may be impacted by this closure, as stated by the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association.
This marks the second closure during this year’s lobster fishing season. The affected grids in the North Lake and Souris regions in northeastern P.E.I. had just reopened last week after a previous whale detection at the end of April led to a nearly two-week closure.
The P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association mentioned that 89 fishers in North Lake and around 20 to 30 fishers in lobster fishing area 26A will need to retrieve their traps by 5 p.m. on Friday. The closure is anticipated to last approximately 15 days, in accordance with Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s 2026 fishery management guidelines.
Melanie Giffin, a marine biologist associated with the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association, expressed the frustrations faced by fishers due to these recurring closures. The areas had just recently reopened on Wednesday after being closed on April 29. However, the association received notification from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) that another right whale was detected by acoustic sensors off the North Lake shore.
The North Atlantic right whale is classified as endangered under the Canadian Species at Risk Act, leading to the enforcement of 15-day closures in detection areas. Before an area can be reopened for lobster fishing, two aerial surveillance flights must confirm the absence of right whales.
Discussions are underway between the association and DFO for a potential pilot project that would permit fishers to continue fishing in closed areas with modified gear to minimize the risk of whale entanglement. Although no specific timeline has been established for this project, Giffin emphasized the importance of expedited progress from the Fishermen’s Association’s perspective.