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Twice every month, Whales online presents a significant current event related to the St. Lawrence. 24 May 2007 Best practices for watching marine mammals in QuebecFisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has just published a document entitled “Guidelines for best practices for watching marine mammals in Quebec“ to inform the general public in order to minimize the risk of disturbance. These best practices are in line with DFO's Marine Mammal Regulations, which prohibit the disturbance of marine mammals in Canadian waters. The Regulations are under revision in order to better manage marine mammal observation practices for the entire country. In the interim, while waiting for these new regulations to be adopted and applied, Guidelines for best practices for watching marine mammals in Quebec presents clear and concrete voluntary guidelines. These practices concern all whale watchers They apply to all types of commercial or privately owned vessels, including sea-doos, kayaks and sailboats, as well as divers and aeroplanes flying over the water. For seaborne whale watchers, this document sets limits for distance, speed, approach angles and number of boats. It also specifies behaviour near endangered species and seal haul-out sites. For land-based whale watchers, it outlines behaviour when in the presence of resting or injured seals. The best practices guidelines apply to the St. Lawrence in its entirety, with the exception of the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park where special regulations have been in existence since 2002. [DFO] I want to know more On Fisheries and Oceans site: Why best practices guidelines are needed for watching marine mammals in Quebec? Guidelines for best practices for watching marine mammals in Quebec On Whales Online: New!
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