With a record number of cruise ships slated to visit P.E.I. in the coming season, port managers in Charlottetown are facing uncertainty after the federal government announced restrictions to protect endangered right whales for the 2020 season.

Those restrictions include a new voluntary speed reduction zone in the Cabot Strait, a key corridor for cruise ships travelling between P.E.I. and Halifax.

"It will be interesting to see how that impacts us," said Corryn Clemence, the communications manager for Port Charlottetown.

"So I guess we'll see how it plays out."

The federal government announced Thursday in Ottawa it will monitor results of the voluntary speed zone as it shapes strategies to protect whales in the future. The voluntary reduction would apply to portions of the coming summer season.

New limits

The rules bring in a new 10-knot speed limit for 15 days in areas where a whale is seen. The rules is intended to make shipping restrictions more nimble — quick implementation when a whale is found, and speedy removal after the whales leave the area.

Despite speed restrictions in the Gulf again this coming season, Charlottetown is projecting a record year for cruise-ship visits says Corryn Clemence with the port authority. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

New detection technology, including drones and underwater acoustic equipment that was tested last year, will be used.

Port managers see potential to keep cruise ships moving, with reduced risk to whales.

"If we have a better understanding of where the whales are, it may allow those dynamic zones to be open more often," said Clemence.

Transport Canada will restrict shipping in the Shediac Valley, an area in waters off western P.E.I. Any ships required to enter the area must limit their speed to eight knots. However, few cruise ships travel through that portion of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, according to Clemence.

Endangered right whales often become tangled in fishing gear or are hit by ship traffic in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and surrounding waters. (Alison Ogilvie/NOAA Fisheries)

Fishermen will be required to modify their gear, to include colour coding on ropes and lines to identify the origin of the equipment should a whale become entangled. Fisheries and Oceans Canada also said it has contracted new ice-breaking services in Northern New Brunswick to allow snow crab fishermen to finish their season before the whales arrive.

"We're all looking to make sure we ensure the safety of these whales," said Clemence.

The P.E.I. Fishermen's Association declined comment on the restrictions Thursday. It says it is seeking more information from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

It's been a positive start to 2020 for the endangered whales, for the most part. Four mother and calf pairs were spotted off the southeastern U.S. coast, although one days-old calf was injured by a propeller. There were seven newborns in the 2019 calving season and none in 2018. Rrsearchers say 12 North Atlantic right whales died last year.

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