The federal government has added two more areas identified as critical feeding grounds for North Atlantic right whales to the Species at Risk Act. Doing so is aimed at trying to further protect the endangered mammals.
The Roseway Basin – located about 50 kilometres off Nova Scotia between Browns and Baccaro banks on the western Scotian shelf, covering an area of around 2,590 square kilometers – and the Grand Manan Basin in the Bay of Fundy were added to the act on June 17. They’ve been identified as crucial feeding grounds to the right whales, of which only around 400 remain in the world.
Right whales migrate from breeding grounds in the southern United States to Canadian waters. The whales remain in Canada over the summer to feed on plankton.
Adding these areas to the Species at Risk Act means the federal government is obligated to legally protect the areas from any activities that might be harmful. As far as the Roseway Basin is concerned, there was already a voluntary measure in place encouraging vessels to steer clear of the area when the whales are present.
More protection announced for habitat of right whales
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