Latest Entanglement Highlights Persistent Risks to Right Whales as they Return to Canadian Waters
On-Demand Fishing Gear in High-Risk Areas can help save species from extinction
Press Release Date: June 10, 2026
Media contacts: Vaishali Dassani, Oceana Canada, vdassani@oceana.ca, 647-294-3335;
Rose-Marie Ménard, Pilot PMR, rosemarie.menard@pilotpmr.com, +1-579-622-9925
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has confirmed that an endangered North Atlantic right whale is entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Shippagan, New Brunswick. The whale, a five-year-old male identified as EGNO #5192, was spotted on June 8 during a joint aerial survey with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). DFO will continue to monitor the situation to determine response options and, if weather and sea conditions allow, will attempt a disentanglement. The type and origin of the gear are unknown.
Below is Oceana Canada’s response from North Atlantic right whale campaigner Hanna Vatcher:
“The entanglement of right whale #5192, who was last sighted gear-free in Cape Cod Bay in March, is a devastating reminder that North Atlantic right whales remain at risk. For a species with only a few hundred individuals remaining, every entanglement matters.
Last year ended with no reported right whale deaths and the recent calving season welcomed 23 new calves, creating renewed hope for the recovery of this endangered species. This is the second entanglement in 2026 and serves as a stark warning that progress can be quickly undone if protections do not keep pace with the threats these whales face. DFO must implement its Whalesafe Fishing Gear Strategy in high-risk areas and accelerate the transition to fishing practices that prevent these avoidable entanglements.”
Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to ban single-use plastics, end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples, and governments to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits, and protect our future. Find out more at Oceana.ca.
