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Right whale entangled in fishing gear off Gaspe Peninsula: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
The Canadian Press

This article was published more than 8 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

In this April 10, 2008 file photo, the head of a North Atlantic right whale peers up from the water as another whale passes behind in Cape Cod Bay near Provincetown, Mass. Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Tuesday a right whale got entangled in fishing gear off the coast of Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula.Stephan Savoia/The Associated Press

Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Tuesday a right whale got entangled in fishing gear off the coast of Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula.

The department announced the whale was in an "extremely difficult and worrying" situation.

Ten North Atlantic right whales have died since June in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Robert Michaud, with an organization working to protect marine life in Quebec, says Fisheries and Oceans Canada first spotted the entangled whale on Monday.

He said the whale hasn't been spotted since and could have freed itself.

Twelve right whales were found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2017 and scientist did necropsies to find out why. The 2017 deaths prompted Ottawa to implement a number of measures to help prevent further whale deaths but recently some of the measures were eased.

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