Nature is a key part of Canada’s national identity. The health of marine ecosystems and their biodiversity supports our culture, well-being, and our economy from coast to coast to coast. Protecting marine ecosystems and the aquatic species that call them home is essential to supporting productive and sustainable fisheries, while also helping to provide economic benefits to coastal communities.
The Honorable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, has announced $855,000 under the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR) for Montréal-based organization, Whale Seeker. Lebouthillier stated: “Canada will always strive to find the right balance between protecting marine mammals and continuing fishing activities that are crucial to the economies of our coastal communities. This announcement is timely: by combining artificial intelligence and local know-how, we will ultimately be able to detect the presence of marine mammals in near real time. Ultimately, I am hopeful that this will provide the additional degree of predictability that our fishermen need to successfully complete their fishing seasons, and thus ensure the prosperity of our coastal communities. Hats off to Whale Seeker for their innovation!”
In collaboration with Edgewise Environmental, a Newfoundland-based marine environmental consulting firm, Whale Seeker will deploy its award-winning Möbius technology, which leverages drone and artificial intelligence technology to simplify and facilitate marine mammal observation in real time. Improving detection of aquatic species at risk is essential to their recovery and Canada’s conservation efforts.
Through targeted investments and projects that leverage the latest science and technology, the Government of Canada is helping to build a culture of conservation, and one that empowers Canadian organizations to join in the collaborative efforts to conserve nature. Since 2018, the CNFASAR fund has funded over 140 projects for over $110 million across Canada that support the conservation of biodiversity, as well as the recovery of aquatic species at risk.
