Let’s Talk Whales! Online consultation on endangered whales

With Let’s Talk Whales, the Government of Canada is launching a comprehensive online public consultation on protective measures to implement for the recovery of three cetacean species classified as “Endangered” under the Species at Risk Act, namely the southern resident killer whale, the North Atlantic right whale and the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga. The southern resident killer whale received this unfortunate status in 2001, the North Atlantic right whale in 2005 and the St. Lawrence beluga in 2014. Despite the measures put into place to protect these species, their populations are struggling to recover.

Although the southern resident killer whale is found in the Pacific, the right whale in the Atlantic and the beluga in the St. Lawrence, five common threats have been identified by scientific teams: food availability, underwater noise, entanglements in fishing gear, contaminants and vessels.

To counter these threats, new measures need to be implemented, and collaboration between governments, organizations, businesses and citizens will be necessary. In order to better understand public opinion, anyone interested is invited to answer a questionnaire on the various threats to these species, propose solutions, familiarize themselves with the measures already in place and consult the scientific reports on each of these species.

The public consultation will end on September 19. The government has announced its intention to disclose the recommendations stemming from this process by the end of the fall.

Dive deeper

Participate on Let’s Talk Whales

Use the #Letstalkwhales hashtag on social medias

Read the latests news on the North Atlantic Right Whale on Whales Online

Read the latests news on the St. Lawrence Beluga on Whales Online