Thanks for the question.
Indigenous communal, commercial and moderate livelihood fishing activities in our Maritimes region are subject to the same closure protocols as other commercial activities. In terms of FSC fishing, our regional colleagues are currently working with first nations to better understand their needs and ultimately to further integrate the FSC harvesting with the department's overall approach to protecting North Atlantic right whales and other marine mammals. That meaningful consultation needs to be undertaken in advance of applying the same closure protocols to those FSC fisheries.
The nations certainly were informed when these whale sightings occurred so that they could respond appropriately, based on their determinations. That meaningful consultation is under way so that we can better understand their particular circumstances and work with them to find a path forward.