Oceans

Protecting Species At Risk
Worldwide, many marine species have drastically declined in numbers, including the most threatened marine vertebrates in Canadian waters – sharks, North Atlantic right whales, and bluefin tuna. There is an urgent need for stricter management regimes to ensure their long-term viability. WWF is protecting marine species that are at risk from overfishing and from being caught in fishing gear designed for other species, known as unintentional catch or bycatch.

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/ ©: PCCS//PCCS-NOAA permit 633-176 / WWF-Canada
Northern right whale
© PCCS//PCCS-NOAA permit 633-176 / WWF-Canada

Endangered Right Whales

WWF reduces the unintentional entanglement of species at risk by facilitating improvements to fishing gear and practices while still allowing fishermen to catch fish. With the help of Nova Scotia lobster fishers, WWF has created new ways to protect the remaining 400 endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Bay of Fundy by: moving shipping lanes that commonly lead to fatal collisions; reducing the amount of excess rope that ties together lobster traps and risks entangling whales, marine turtles, and other species; and identifying known or potential high-risk areas with intense fishing activities that are a significant risk for whale entanglement.

Learn more about Right Whales.

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/ ©: Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWF
A Shortfin mako shark
© Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWF

Canadian Sharks

We are planning to partner with local communities, industry leaders, managers, and scientists to influence policy and transform the fishing practices that threaten Canada’s sharks. Although half of the 28 shark species occurring in Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific waters are threatened with extinction, not one is currently being actively protected. The unintentional catch of sharks in commercial fisheries is common and particularly severe in pelagic longline fisheries for swordfish and tuna in Atlantic waters. WWF-Canada's work on shark protection will contribute to the successful establishment of a Canadian Shark Conservation Centre.

Learn more about Canadian Sharks

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