Reducing the Impact of Noise on Marine Mammals at Risk: Share Your Opinion

The Government of Canada is seeking comments from Canadians until September 22 on the proposed version of the Action Plan to Reduce the Impact of Noise on the Beluga Whale and Other Marine Mammals at Risk in the St. Lawrence Estuary. You can participate in the consultation by sending your comments through the Species at Risk Public Registry. All comments received will be evaluated and considered for the final version of the document.

Four species of marine mammals listed in the Species at Risk Act are found in the St. Lawrence Estuary. They are the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), which lives there year round, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) and the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), which return for a large portion of the summer season, mainly for food, as well as the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), which can be seen from time to time in the Estuary. 

The St. Lawrence Estuary is a busy shipping lane and a hot spot for pleasure boating and whale watching. It is also used by ferries and for commercial shipping and onshore and offshore development projects. As a result, one of the common threats to marine mammals in this area is the level of ambient noise caused by all these various activities. The effects of human noise can, among other things, mask the sounds marine mammals emit to communicate, orient themselves and find prey, alter their behaviour or cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. Beluga whales are particularly sensitive to this type of noise in the St. Lawrence Estuary because they reside there permanently.

The Action Plan to Reduce the Impact of Noise on the Beluga Whale and Other Marine Mammals at Risk in the St. Lawrence Estuary was prepared in collaboration with species experts, Parks Canada and Transport Canada representatives, as well as representatives from three main sectors of the shipping industry (commercial shipping, ferries and marine mammal watching excursions).

The main actions proposed are aimed at:

• characterizing noise sources
• gaining knowledge on the effects of noise on marine mammals
• assessing measures to manage the threat
• implementing noise reduction measures
• improving conservation and protection measures for marine mammals at risk
• spreading awareness among St. Lawrence Estuary users

For more information on beluga whales and other marine mammals at risk, you can consult the Species at Risk Public Registry.

Charline Le Mer
Ecosystems Management