Hawke Channel Closure
Location: Newfoundland-Labrador Shelves Bioregion
Approximate Area: 883,700 hectares
Date of Designation: 2017
Conservation Objectives
To protect seafloor habitat for many species, especially Atlantic cod.
Prohibitions
Bottom-contact fishing methods, such as bottom trawls, are prohibited in the closure.
Why (environmental context for protection)
The closure is home to large numbers of bottom-dwelling aquatic species. It protects Atlantic cod, a species that once experienced severe overfishing. Other species that rely on seafloor habitat, such as snow crabs, Greenland halibut, and Atlantic wolffish, also live in the closure.