The Government of Canada is investing $5.3 million in five companies to advance innovative solutions that could enhance Canada’s ability to detect and monitor the presence of the endangered North Atlantic right whales in Canadian waters and predict their movements. smartWhales is another initiative aimed at reducing the risk of right whale entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with vessels – the two main threats they face. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is leading smartWhales in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada, and this is the first federal interdepartmental initiative that funds research and development projects that leverage satellite data to help protect the North Atlantic right whale.
