By Canadian Press

Expert says feds should have acted more quickly on right whale migration

Jun 27, 2019 | 9:34 AM

FREDERICTON — A whale expert says Canadian officials did not respond quickly enough to this year’s migration of North Atlantic right whales and now five of the endangered animals have been found dead in recent weeks.

Laurie Murison, executive director of the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station, says while vessel speed limits and other measures are now in place, those should have come at the start of the season.

Necropsy results show at least one of the dead whales had injuries consistent with vessel strikes.

Murison says when you are trying to protect a population that is close to extinction, you need to act quickly and not assume last year’s measures will work for this year.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau said Wednesday that effective immediately, vessels of 20 metres or more in length travelling in two designated shipping lanes in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence are restricted to 10 knots.

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It’s estimated there are only about 410 of the whales left, but Murison said she believes the real number is now below 400.

The Canadian Press