DFO yesterday closed the snow crab fishery two days early to protect the Right Whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The death of fisherman Joe Howlett while trying to rescue a Right Whale this week has also prompted an American agency to suspend its whale rescue efforts.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has suspended all large whale rescue efforts until further notice because of Howlett’s death, saying the safety of rescuers is a top priority.