The North Atlantic right whale

7 July 2005

Improved protection for the North Atlantic right whale in the United States

Ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are the two main causes of death of North Atlantic right whales, an endangered species numbering less than 325 individuals. It is estimated that 50 percent of all deaths of this species—excluding newborn calves—are due to ship strikes and that 70 percent of all North Atlantic right whales have scars attributable to accidental entanglement in fishing gear. Already this year 5 percent of all mature females have perished due to ship strikes; two of them were carrying near-term foetuses. To diminish the number of accidents caused by shipping and commercial fishing operations, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is preparing conservation strategies and new regulations.

A new take reduction plan and proposed rules are being finalized with respect to accidental entanglements. This plan includes not only right whales, but humpback and fin whales off the United States East Coast as well. These species are also victims of accidental entanglement in fishing gear. The new regulations would require more trap/pot and gillnet fisheries to use modified gear, reduce the use of lines that hangs vertically in the water or float along the ocean bottom and expand gear marking requirements. The agency also proposes to revise boundaries and seasons for management areas and exempted waters (where the rules would not apply). NOAA Fisheries Service will be accepting comments on the proposed rule up until July 21.

NOAA is also preparing a strategy to reduce ship strikes. Different possibilities are presently being evaluated; therefore the public is invited to comment on the alternatives under consideration before July 22. Regulations will be elaborated based on the preferred alternatives once the process has been completed. The ship strike reduction strategy proposes a combination of routing and speed options defined by the seasonal presence of right whales in three major regions of along the U.S. East Coast—mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Northeast ports—all the while taking industry requirements into consideration.

Along with these two conservation measures, last month NOAA also completed its revised North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Plan. While defining the various threats to right whales, this plan suggests several strategies to lessen the impacts of threats of human origin. Measures taken by NOAA to diminish the number of cases of accidental entanglement and ship strikes have been identified as priorities in the Recovery Plan. [NOAA]

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On National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) site:

7 April 2005

2005 birth rate for North Atlantic right whale encouraging

2005 has been the second best year since the early 1990s for births of North Atlantic right whales: 27 births have been recorded. Despite these encouraging numbers, specialists still consider the situation of the species to be critical.

Sixteen births were recorded in 2004, 18 in 2003, 22 in 2002, 31 in 2001 (record year) and only one in 2000. Scientists attribute the improved birth rate to the abundant food supply over the last few years. Every year since the early 1990s, between December and March, biologists from the New England Aquarium have flown over the waters off the coasts of Georgia and Florida (east of the United States) to count the number of newborn whales. This year, 12 of the 27 new mothers had given birth in 2002. According to Kate Sardi, assistant director at the Whale Center of New England, a cycle of 3 years between births is a sign of a healthy population.

Specialists are not however overly excited about this piece of good news. Human-caused deaths are still the biggest threat to the species, and the high birth rate can't obscure the efforts needed to save the species. Collisions with boats and accidental fishing gear entanglements are the most significant threats. Over the last six months, at least four right whales have been killed by ship strikes and one was killed due to fishing gear entanglement. Two of these whales were with near-term fetuses and two others were females of reproductive age. This is a major loss for the species that now only numbers between 300 and 350 individuals. A sixth right whale was seriously injured as a result of a ship collision last month.

With the winter calving season over, the right whales are now headed north to their feeding grounds, including the Bay of Fundy. Newborn whales accompany their mothers on this long journey of several hundred kilometres and will be exposed to similar threats, including ship collisions. The mortality rate for juvenile whales is estimated to be 25%. Scientists are therefore recommending that boat and ship operators reduce their speed to 10 knots when they are within 30 miles (54 km) from the east coast of the U.S. [Boston.com, The Berkshire Eagle]

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On Boston.com News site :

27 January 2005

The blue whale and the right whale officially protected in Canada

On January 21 of this year federal Environment Minister Stéphane Dion announced the addition of 73 Canadian species to be protected under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). This raises the total to 306 species now protected by this act. The Atlantic blue whale population and the North Atlantic right whale are now listed among the endangered species. These additions commit the government and its partners to protecting these species and undertaking actions for their recovery.

This announcement is the end product of a long evaluation and consultation process. The process was initiated when the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) proposed a status for each species after having examined a report describing the situation of the species or population in question. COSEWIC members evaluated the Atlantic population of blue whales and determined that it was "endangered" in 2002. This population is estimated at less than 250 mature whales. Furthermore, calving and recruitment rates for this population are low. As for the North Atlantic right whale–a population made up of some 325 whales severely threatened by ship strikes and accidental entanglement in fishing gear–it was re-evaluated in 2003 and also attributed the status of "endangered".

Three other populations of cetaceans were also added to this list. The Pacific blue whale and sei whale populations (endangered) and the North Pacific humpback whale (threatened). These additions bring the number of marine mammals protected under SARA to 11. The Atlantic grey whale (extinct), the four populations of Eastern North Pacific killer whales and the Atlantic walrus were automatically added to the list when the law came into being in 2003. The government is presently studying the possibility of adding 51 other species including five Arctic beluga whale populations, the St. Lawrence beluga whale population, the Eastern North Pacific grey whale population and the Pacific harbour porpoise. [Environment Canada, Sara Public Registry]

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On Environment Canada site :

20 January 2005

North Atlantic right whales: death, survival and birth

Four deaths in six weeks

Four right whale carcasses have been discovered along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since late November. One was found off Virginia at the end of November, another south of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts in early December, a third off Nantucket Island on January 11 and finally one more off Georgia on January 12. Three of the four whales were females. The first carcass was that of a gestating female carrying a near-term foetus. The third carcass was that of a female that had given birth to at least six calves and had survived a ship strike in 2001. Ship strikes are the main cause of death for this species, which is classified as "endangered". Right whales migrate along North America’s East Coast between their winter calving grounds, off Florida and Georgia, and their summer feeding grounds off Canada’s East Coast. So far the National Marine Fisheries Service has determined that only one of the four whales died from a ship strike. The United States is considering modifying shipping lanes in order to protect right whales from ship strikes.

Kingfisher found alive and a New Year disentanglement

A young right whale named Kingfisher made headlines on Whales Online on April 15, 2004, as a rescue team was working hard to disentangle it from the fishing gear it was trailing. Poor weather impeded the numerous rescue attempts and scientists lost track of the young male whale when a fisherman accidentally cut through a line carrying a satellite tag. Many had given Kingfisher up for dead when he was sighted off Georgia on January 11, 2005, apparently in good condition. To the surprise of scientists, Kingfisher was mostly free of the lines that had been seriously hampering him.

On December 30 and 31, 2004, a team of specialists from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies freed a young right whale of heavy fishing gear. This whale had been located for the first time in early December as it was travelling along the East Coast of the United States heading south. On December 21, a rescue team succeeded in attaching a satellite transmitter to the trailing gear. However, it wasn’t until December 29 that weather conditions permitted the planning of an intervention strategy that was carried out with success late in the afternoon of December 31. The whale, whose code number is 3314, was named Yellow Fin in honour of the U.S. Coast Guard vessel that assisted the disentanglement team during this perilous rescue. Scientists estimate that at least 13 of the 300 to 350 North Atlantic right whales are presently entangled in fishing gear.

Births for the 2005 breeding season

The good news for this population is that a total of 13 newborn calves have been counted this breeding season by teams conducting aerial surveys over breeding grounds. This number is very encouraging according to scientists; the breeding season will last until March. Last breeding season a total of 16 births were recorded, 18 in 2003, 22 in 2002, 31 in 2001 and only one in 2000. [EMS, NOAA, The Boston Globe, Whales online]

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On Environmental Media Service site :

7 October 2004

Protecting North Atlantic and North Pacific right whale populations

Major efforts are being deployed to protect and learn more about right whale populations depleted by whaling. What follows is some good news concerning these animals.

Modification of shipping lanes: encouraging results

In July 2003 the shipping lane that passes through the Bay of Fundy—feeding ground for nearly two thirds of the 325 North Atlantic right whales—was modified in an attempt to avoid ship strikes. In an interview with the New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, biologist Moira Brown of the New England Aquarium stated that results of this preventative measure are surprising. By moving the shipping lane six kilometres to the east, researchers estimate that ship strikes may have been reduced by 95 percent. There have been no collisions reported in the Bay of Fundy since the adoption of this measure and only 1.5 percent of the whales were spotted in the new shipping lane in 2005, compared to 30 percent in the old shipping lane. In the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a strategy to modify certain East Coast shipping lanes. Consultations concerning these modifications are set to take place next week in Boston.

Fishing gear competition announced

This week the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and NOAA launched the "Large Whale Gear Competition". This competition is aimed at developing new fishing gear that will reduce the risk of great whales—such as right whales—becoming accidentally entangled. Seventy percent of all North Atlantic right whales are marked by injuries or scars caused by fishing gear. Several U.S. government agencies and conservation groups are working together to develop ways of preventing the accidental entanglement of cetaceans in fishing gear. As many as five teams will be awarded grants of up to US$10 000 each to develop their prototypes and participate in an at-sea competition in the autumn of 2005. The winning team will receive a grant of US$50 000 to complete the development of their prototype and to carry out at-sea tests with fishermen in the spring of 2006.

North Pacific right whales are more numerous than previously thought

Data from the summer of 2004 have allowed NOAA researchers to double the number of known North Pacific right whales from 13 to 25 individuals. Thanks to satellite tags attached to the backs of two right whales in 2004, researchers located a new site frequented by this species in the southeast portion of the Bering Sea. Three cow/calf pairs were also observed, leading researchers to believe that the population could be growing. The first calf sighting in a century in the Bering Sea was made in 2002. This population was severely depleted by commercial whaling in the early portion of the XX Century and illegal whaling in the 1960s. [Aquanews, The New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, Sitnews]

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On Vancouver Aquarium’s Aquanews site :

17 June 2004

Right whale protection: the United States may modify shipping lanes

The United States is presently considering the modification of shipping lanes along the East Coast to protect North Atlantic right whales from ship strikes. The proposed strategy is being developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

For now, shipping lane changes and speed reduction are being considered for the Cape Cod, Great South Channel (off Cape Cod) and Gulf of Maine feeding grounds. Speed limits may be established for shipping lanes that pass through calving grounds off Georgia and Florida. Finally, speed limits may also come into force for ports along the right whale’s migration route. Proposed measures would apply to all domestic and foreign vessels over 20 metres (65 feet) in length.

The study is in the public consultation phase until August. NOAA aims to propose regulation by early 2005, after having completed a full evaluation of environmental and economic impacts. U.S. authorities hope this measure will contribute to raising the level of protection of this endangered species.

The first shipping lane modified to protect an endangered species was in Canada. Ever since July 2003, ships have had to follow a new route to avoid an area frequently used by North Atlantic right whales in the Bay of Fundy.

Ship strikes are responsible for 50 percent of all deaths (excluding newborns) of this species. There are no more than 325 North Atlantic right whales left. A collision took place this year involving a female carrying a near-term foetus. Aerial surveys carried out in 2004 counted 16 newborn calves in the waters off the coasts of Georgia and Florida; this represents a good year for the species. [NOAA, ENN, Aquanews]

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On National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) site:

15 April 2004

Attempt to save an entangled right whale

A specialized team has been working relentlessly for several weeks to free a right whale that has become entangled in fishing gear. The rescue team is made up of representatives from the Center for Coastal Studies, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the New England Aquarium, the Wildlife Trust, NOAA-Fisheries and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The first reported sighting of the whale dates back to March 17 off St. Augustine, on the East Coast of Florida. It was tracked for a period of two weeks using a satellite and VHF telemetry buoy attached to the entangling gear by members of the team. On April 4, the captain of a fishing vessel from New Jersey found the telemetry buoy, with approximately 10 m of tether line, floating free.

Several disentanglement attempts were made over the course of this two-week period. On March 19, the team succeeded in removing at least one tightly embedded line just behind the blowholes and at least one wrap of line around the left flipper. Unfortunately, due to bad weather conditions, the whale’s high level of activity, its constant movement northward and its distance from the coast, other attempts to disentangle the whale were not successful or were aborted.

Several lines remain wound around the whale behind its blowholes and around its pectoral fins. These lines could cause serious injury and infection, especially as the animal is a one-year-old male that is still growing. Canadian and American disentanglement first response teams are ready to intervene if the whale is located again. Rescue teams are now dependent on aerial surveys and mariner sightings to locate the animal since the whale lost its telemetry buoy.

Entanglement in fishing gear represents a serious threat for this species, which is classified as endangered. Seventy percent of North Atlantic right whales bear fishing gear injuries or scars. There are less than 325 right whales left in the North Atlantic. The Center for Coastal Studies has received an average of fifteen calls per year concerning large whales–right whales, humpback whales, fin whales and so on–entangled in fishing gear since 1984. Sixty of these whales were successfully freed. Disentangling a whale is a complex, dangerous and often unsuccessful undertaking. This has motivated fishermen, several American government agencies and conservation groups to work together to develop ways of preventing the accidental entanglement of cetaceans in fishing gear. [CCS]

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On Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) site:

5 February 2004

American Congress Invests in the Protection of North Atlantic Right Whales

The announcement was made last Monday: the American Congress is allocating US$685 000 to a North Atlantic right whale conservation project. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) had been working for a year and a half in partnership with Congressman Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts, Senator Edward Kennedy, the Massachusetts Lobsterman’s Association and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries to obtain the federal funding.

The funding–along with private sector funds collected by IFAW–will be invested in a project aimed at reducing the risk of right whale entanglement in lobster fishing gear used in Massachusetts. Lines that connect lobster pots represent a risk for right whales. The lines presently used are made of a floating material; whales run the risk of becoming entangled in them when they dive or feed. The project involves replacing these floating lines with lines made from a material that sinks, thus reducing the risk of entanglement. The project will be coordinated by IFAW and will include the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.

Accidental entanglement in fishing gear constitutes one of the limiting factors identified in the Canadian recovery plan for this species, which is classified as endangered. There are less than 325 right whales left, 70 percent of them bear wounds or scars caused by fishing gear. [IFAW]

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On IFAW site:

23 October 2003

A Right Whale Dies from a Ship Collision in the Bay of Fundy

A North Atlantic right whale was found dead approximately 40 km off Digby, Nova Scotia last October 2 by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) during a routine patrol. The carcass was then towed to shore by a team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the Cape Cod Stranding Network, the New England Aquarium and DFO, with the help of a local fishing vessel.

A post-mortem examination, performed by the Atlantic Veterinary College of Prince Edward Island and East Coast Ecosystems, revealed that the animal had died one to two weeks earlier after a collision with a ship. Several bones in the skull were fractured. The whale was a 13.5-m long female known under the code name #2150. She had been identified for the first time in 1991 and had given birth to her first and only calf in 2001.

Ship strikes are the cause of 50 percent of deaths–excluding new-borns–of this species that is threatened with extinction. Less than 325 North Atlantic right whales remain. In an attempt to reduce the extent of this problem, shipping lanes in the Bay of Fundy were moved last July as the result of a concerted effort between Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, International Maritime Organization along with several conservation groups and industries that use the shipping lanes.

The analysis of the drift of the carcass will allow researchers to determine the place where the accident took place. This information could be used to adjust measures for the protection of this species in the Bay of Fundy area. The premature death of breeding females seriously compromises the species chances of recovery. [Canadian Press]

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Toronto Star site:

10 July 2003

Right Whale Conservation Effort Leads to Action

A new conservation measure for North Atlantic right whales has been in place since July 1. Shipping lanes in the Bay of Fundy have been changed. This heightened protection is the result of a concerted effort between Transport Canada, numerous conservation groups, representatives of industries that use the shipping lane, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Marine Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Acting on recommendations put forward in the North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Plan, published in 1998, Transport Canada worked for four years with the various concerned parties to modify the shipping lanes. In April of 2002, the ministry submitted its proposal to the IMO. The proposal was accepted in December 2002.

This is the first time shipping lanes have been altered to protect an endangered species. There are only 300 to 350 North Atlantic right whales left. Ship collisions have been responsible for almost half of all deaths over the past decade. Approximately two-thirds of the population spends the summer in the Bay of Fundy, a prime feeding ground for this species. Researchers strongly believe that moving the shipping lanes will reduce the risk of collisions between ships and right whales. They also hope that this will encourage the United States to undertake a similar project, thus reducing the risk of ship strikes throughout this species’ territory. [WWF]

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WWF Site:

3 April 2003

Right Whale News

The North Atlantic right wale is a species threatened with extinction. The population is limited to approximately 300 animals. On March 31, researchers from the New England Aquarium, the Wildlife Trust and the Florida Marine Research Institute concluded their annual census of this species on its calving grounds along the coasts of Florida and Georgia. They counted 18 newborn calves. They had counted 22 calves in 2002, 31 in 2001 and only one in 2000. This is therefore a good year for births. They also noticed a good number of juveniles and adults. Three whales were noted either trailing fishing gear or with marks from fishing gear. Entanglement in fishing gear is a major cause of mortality for right whales. After this calving period, mothers and calves will be heading north.

A meeting was held on March 18, 19 and 20 to coordinate all those working with right whales in the Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy is a major summer feeding ground for right whales. The meeting organized by Fisheries and Oceans Canada was held at the St. Andrews Biological Station in New Brunswick. The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate all research efforts for the summer and fall of 2003.

On December 19, Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced changes to navigation routes to protect right whales in the Bay of Fundy. Ship strikes constitute the main cause of death for this species. Traffic lanes will be modified as of July 1 to avoid the area most frequented by these whales. This recommendation was part of the Canadian North Atlantic right whale recovery plan.

Along with heavy maritime traffic, another factor may have a negative impact on right whales in the Bay of Fundy. A recent study has demonstrated that the whales are regularly exposed to paralytic toxins. These toxins are produced by dinoflagellate algae. The toxins make their way up the food chain into zooplankton consumed by the whales. This chronic exposure, several months of the year, could affect the whales’ breathing capacities, feeding behaviour and ability to reproduce. [New England Aquarium, Center for Coastal Studies, Transport Canada, Durbin et al. 2002]

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Whales Online site:

11 July 2002

Bombing near right whales

Bombing exercises at sea directed by the U.S. Navy could impede efforts for the protection of the North Atlantic right whale. So says the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The HSUS recently asked federal American authorities that bombing sites be moved outside the feeding grounds of this species.

On June 10, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) discovered the headless carcass of a right whale calf just north of the area designated as a major feeding zone for this highly endangered species. It is believed that this discovery is the result of bombing. The right whale is in a critical situation as numbers for this species total 300 in the North Atlantic. Recent studies have also noted a slight decline in this already reduced population.

Other incidents linked to American military exercises have been noted. Over the course of the winter of 1996 along the coast of Florida and Georgia several right whales were found beached while the Navy was conducting bombing exercises in the area offshore. More recently, in the fall of 2000, several species of whales were found stranded on the beaches of northern Bahamas islands. At the time the Navy was testing very powerful sonar emitters. Studies conducted on six of the carcasses by NOAA Fisheries, an American governmental organization concerned with marine resources, revealed wounds resulting from exposure to powerful sound waves. [ENS]

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On Environment News Service:

13 December 2001

North Atlantic right whales: mothers die too young

According to a recent study published in the scientific magazine, Nature, one of the most endangered species of whales in the world has reached such a low reproductive rate that, if it does not improve, the North Atlantic right whale will become extinct over the course of the next two centuries. The drastic drop is due to a major reduction in the life expectancy of females from 52 years in 1980 to about 15 years in 1995. Normally, these whales reproduce about six times in their lives. They now do so only once or twice before dying.

The North Atlantic right whale population numbers around 300. According to biologists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), this species, which is concentrated between the northern coast of Florida and the Bay of Fundy, would have a slight chance at survival if we succeeded in reducing the number of deaths by as little as a few per year. For this reason, conservation efforts in the United States and Canada are aimed at reducing the number of deaths due to boat collisions and accidental entanglement in fishing gear. [Environment News Service]

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25 October 2001

New measures to protect right whales

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the American department in charge of the management and protection of marine resources, is seeking public comment on proposed changes to its plan to reduce accidental entanglement of right whales in fishing gear along the East Coast of the United States. These new measures will also help the three other species included in the plan: the humpback whale, the fin whale and the minke whale.

The first proposed change would amend the types of gear allowed and apply restrictions on how they are used. The second proposed change is based on recent analyses of right whale sightings. These analyses enabled researchers to determine criteria for the establishment of geographical and temporal right whale feeding zones. These zones, that change as the animals move, will have their own specific protection measures. Once established, protection measures in these zones will be valid for 15-day periods.

The North Atlantic right whale is threatened with extinction. One third of all deaths are caused by accidental entanglement in fishing gear and boat collisions. [NMFS]

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27 September 2001

Churchill may have succumbed to his wounds

Churchill, the right whale that made headlines this summer, may be dead. At 2:18 p.m. on September 16, researchers from the Center for Coastal Studies lost the tracking signal that had allowed them to follow the entangled animal for over three months. The loss of the signal could be due to technical difficulties. It is also possible that the tag is submerged, which suggests that Churchill may have died and that his carcass has sunk. This is quite likely given the animal’s poor condition the last time he was spotted during the Labour Day weekend. It was emaciated and its skin, covered with parasites in places, had lost its normal colour. Churchill’s last recorded position was 400 nautical miles east of New Jersey. Water depth in this area is approximately 4 500 metres, which means that there is little chance of finding the whale without a telemetry signal.

Churchill was seen entangled in fishing gear for the first time on June 8 near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He was identified as a 50 tonne adult male. Researchers feared he would die if the rope that was tightly wrapped around his upper jaw were not removed. On June 9, a telemetry buoy was attached to one of the lines trailing from the whale. The transmitter on the buoy allowed researchers to track his movements for nearly 5 000 nautical miles. Over the course of his voyage he travelled as far as an area north of the Magdalene Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This is the longest that any right whale has been tracked using satellite telemetry. Five separate attempts were made to free the whale when location and weather conditions permitted. The rescue team was able to successfully administer medication and sedatives to the whale, however, removing the rope, which required surgery, was not possible. The research team was made up of experts affiliated with American governmental agencies, private laboratories and research groups, universities and aquaria. This event brought about the development of expertise that will be useful to help other injured whales in the future. [Center for Coastal Studies, Environment News Service]

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On Whales online

28 June 2001

To the rescue of a right whale

A team including experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is presently preparing an expedition to go to the rescue of a North Atlantic right whale caught in fishing gear off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The whale is dragging a heavy fishing line around its mouth and head, a situation that could eventually lead to the animal’s demise.

A satellite-tracking device has been attached to the whale in order to keep track of its position. The rescue team will get to work as soon as tracking and weather allow.

Accidental entanglement in fishing gear is a main cause of injury and death for this species. In the present situation, the severity of the entanglement is such that extraordinary measures will be required in order to free the animal. The rescue plan includes the use of buoys, sedatives and special knives to cut the cord.

Despite the fact that this rescue attempt represents a stressful situation for the animal, and a certain amount of danger for the rescuers, everything will be put into play to free the whale, as the consequences of failure are dire indeed. The North Atlantic right whale is threatened with extinction, there are only just over 300 individuals left.[Environment News Service]

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1 February 2001

North Atlantic right whales: increase in number of births

Researchers studying right whales on their breeding and calving grounds along the coasts of Florida and Georgia have sighted at least 14 births over the course of the last two months. This is more than have been sighted in the last three years combined. There are an estimated 300 right whales in the North Atlantic. Seventy of them are females capable of giving birth. On average, researchers count 11 births per year. Last year only one birth was sighted, while in 1996 researchers reported 21 births. The low birth rate of the last three years appears to be linked to low levels of zooplankton in Cape Cod Bay, which is an important feeding ground for the North Atlantic right whale. This species is the most endangered great whale in the world. The leading causes of deaths are entanglement in fishing gear and collision with ships. [Florida Times, Center for Coastal Studies]

4 February 2000

First fatality of the year for the fragile North Atlantic right whale

A right whale was found dead by fishermen off the coast of Rhode Island at the end of January. Researchers from the New England Aquarium studying this species, of which only 325 individuals remain in the North Atlantic, were able to identify the animal as a three year old female known by the number 2071, by distinctive markings present on its belly. The carcass could not be recovered due to inclement weather. For this reason, the cause of death of this whale is not known. However, video images showed that she had fishing gear wrapped around her tail. This female had last been seen on September 12, 1999, in the Bay of Fundy without fishing gear. The right whales of the North Atlantic are on the verge of extinction. The target of intensive hunting in the past, this population is now very vulnerable to boat collisions and incidental entanglement in fishing gear. Two other females died in 1999: one following a boat collision, the other of wounds inflicted by fishing gear. According to experts from the New England Aquarium, the chances of survival of this population diminishes every time a female dies. In an attempt to reduce the risk of fatalities associated with human activity, all merchant vessels entering two zones off New England and the winter calving zone, situated off Georgia and Florida, must report to the United States Coast Guard to get information on the most recent sightings of right whales. This system has been in place since July 1, 1999. Other measures aimed at reducing death due to entanglement in fishing gear are being studied. [Environment News Service, New England Aquarium]

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