The North Atlantic right whale
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most threatened great whales in the world. Thousands of them once swam the waters of the North Atlantic. In the XVI Century, European whalers sailed all the way across the Atlantic to hunt them in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Unfortunately, several episodes of intensive hunting over the past five centuries have caused the decline of this species. About 400 right whales remain in the North Atlantic. Presently, 50 percent of all North Atlantic right whale deaths—with the exception of new-born calf fatalities—are due to ship strikes, while 70 percent of the population bear scars attributable to accidental entanglement in fishing gear. In 1980, 1985, 1990 and 2003 the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) evaluated the status of the North Atlantic right whale. For each evaluation, the status was the same; the population was granted the most troubling status, that of “endangered”. Recovery PlanIn 2000, a team of specialists headed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and WWF Canada published a recovery plan for this species. The plan includes a list of potentially limiting factors as well as strategies required to favour species recovery. Limiting Factors
Entanglement in fishing gear Exposure to toxic contaminants Degradation and reduction of suitable habitat Noise and other human-generated disturbance Low genetic diversity (inbreeding depression) Inadequate food resources Depensation (Allee effect) Catastrophic events
B. Reduce the frequency (and severity) of entanglement and entrapment in fishing gear C. Minimize disturbance caused by human activities D. Reduce exposure to chemical contamination and other forms of habitat degradation E. Monitor the population and conduct research needed to better understand and address ongoing threats Research projectsThrough research, scientists are learning to better understand the biology of the North Atlantic right whale, the threats that weigh upon this population and the actions that favour its recovery. Other linksRelated current events
2005 birth rate for North Atlantic right whale encouraging (7 April 2005) The blue whale and the right whale officially protected in Canada (27 January 2005) Other current events Questions for the researchers: North Atlantic right whale fact sheetYou may also wish to consult the Whale news network archives to read about encounters with this species. |
