Help Prevent the Extinction of the North Atlantic Right Whale
Commercial whaling began in the 1800s and almost drove all species of whales to extinction. Many have still not fully recovered and are listed as endangered.
That includes the North Atlantic right whale, which is one of the rarest marine mammal species. Only about 450 of these whales still exist.
In what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called an “unusual mortality event,” 17 North Atlantic right whales have been found dead off the coasts of New England and Canada so far this year.
NOAA’s Endangered Species Act consultant Mark Murray-Brown declared last month that unless American and Canadian officials didn’t work to protect the endangered whales, the North Atlantic right whale could soon go extinct.
These deaths occurred as these magnificent creatures were making their annual 1,000-mile journey from their feeding grounds off Canada and New England to the warmer waters off the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
It should be noted that these whales once had two separate populations, western and eastern, but scientists believe the eastern population is either nearly or completely extinct.
Now the western population of the North Atlantic right whale, is also under siege.
The North Atlantic right whale, which can weigh up to 150,000 pounds and measure as long as 48 feet, are baleen whales: They take huge gulps of water and then use baleen plates to filter out the zooplankton and krill that they eat. Each side of their mouth has around 225 baleen plates, which can be as long as 8 feet, and they may take in as much as 2,600 pounds of zooplankton every day during their feeding season (spring to fall).
As they make their journey south, there are two main threats to their lives: commercial fishing vessels and fishing gear.
Of the dead right whales found this year, six were killed by blunt-force trauma, which NOAA believes was caused by collision with fishing vessels. Five right whales were reportedly freed from entanglements in fishing nets in 2017; of these three are still alive, but two have died.
The good news is that work has begun on managing commercial fishing methods to protect the whales.
There has been a reduction in the number of whales colliding with boats, and vessels 65 feet or longer are now required to slow to no more than 10 knots in certain parts of the East Coast during the right whale birthing season (November to April).
In addition, restrictions have been put in place on where commercial traps and gill net gear can be set up, and there are some seasonal closures.
Yet in spite of these improvements, as Murray-Brown noted, given the low birth rate of these creatures, “the current status of right whales is a critical situation,” and so we must continue to be vigilant if we want to prevent the extinction of these whales.
He urges that if marine biologists and commercial fishing companies work together to track the whales, to change vessel routes to avoid collisions as necessary, to add brighter lights to fishing gear and to continue monitoring line placement, then the right whales don’t have to die out.
Take Action!
If you agree, please sign the Care2 petition, calling on Daniel M. Ashe, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to continue to improve the management of commercial fishing methods to make conditions safer for North Atlantic right whales, so that they are no longer under the threat of extinction.
Photo Credit: NOAA
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