Whale Collisions and Entrapments in Newfoundland and Labrador

Whale Collisions and Entrapments in Newfoundland and Labrador

Whale collisions have resulted in gear loss, damages and lost time fishing. Injured whales seem to collide with more gear. Over the past few years the number of collisions and cost of those collisions has increased dramatically.

The most common collisions and entrapments and those that cause the most damage to fishing gear are from humpback whales. Their large side fins and bumps and barnacles cause the animal to be caught in twine and rope. Most releases occur from May to November when 3,000 to 4,000 humpbacks visit Newfoundland and Labrador waters for their feeding season.

Release details of a humpback entrapped in crab fishing gear

In general it is the baleen whales that feed on small bait such as caplin that collide with gear rather than the toothed whales that feed on larger fish. Many other collisions and entrapments involve the smaller minke whale, basking sharks and leatherback turtles (who travel to Newfoundland and Labrador waters feeding on jellyfish in early fall). Several kinds of porpoises also collide with fishing gear.

Common collisions include:

Gill nets for cod, flounder, monk and other domersal species

Crab, whelk and lobster pot rope

Caplin, mackeral, herring and cod traps

Why are more whales swimming inshore lately? The amount of inshore fishing gear in the water has increased, and whales may have been forced inshore because of a shortage of caplin on the offshore banks. Many whales were hunted dangerously close to extinction earlier this century. Since 1972 Canada discontinued whaling, which has given whales a chance to increase their numbers. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has stopped the offshore caplin fishery, and this should help increase the number of caplin and move the whales offshore.

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