Times & Tails

During an aerial survey off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, scientist Orla O'Brien stumbled upon a remarkable discovery. While scanning the waters for familiar whale species, O'Brien encountered a creature that defied expectations: a grey whale.

Despite the species' remarkable recovery from the brink of extinction, findings published in the Royal Society Open Science journal indicate a roughly 20% decline in their numbers over the past decade.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) is deliberating the integration of new regulations regarding the adoption of ropeless gear in the black sea bass fishery, aiming to mitigate adverse impacts on whale populations.

France has taken a significant step in marine conservation by temporarily banning commercial fishing in the Bay of Biscay, a move met with strong opposition from the fishing industry.

In response to the escalating development of offshore wind projects, the federal government has introduced a comprehensive strategy to safeguard the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Released on Thursday, Jan. 25, by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and NOAA Fisheries, the 78-page strategy outlines measures to assess and mitigate potential impacts on the whales and their habitat.

NOAA is currently investigating a distressing incident involving a deceased female North Atlantic right whale discovered near Joseph Sylvia State Beach on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on January 28. Believed to be a juvenile based on its size, the whale's cause of death is under scrutiny, with a piece of rope embedded in its tail undergoing analysis.

Lobster sales made a strong comeback in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, thanks to a stable supply and increased demand from the Asian market. Despite a projected 5 percent decrease in North American lobster landings for 2023, experts at the 2024 Global Seafood Market Conference in Orlando, Florida, emphasized that the lobster resource remains robust and reliable.

Tragedy struck as the lifeless body of a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was discovered off the shores of Edgartown, Massachusetts, USA, on January 29, marking the second such incident in 2024. 

In response to months of anticipation and lobbying efforts in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia, the federal government has unveiled its plan for allocating access in the reopening of the Gulf of St. Lawrence redfish fishery later this year, ending a nearly 30-year hiatus.