Latest news with #NorthAtlanticRightWhale
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Calving season ends for North Atlantic right whales as conservationists hope for population recovery
A pair of North Atlantic right whales interact at the surface of Cape Cod Bay, March 27, 2023, in Massachusetts. For the past eight years, the North Atlantic right whale population has been fighting for its life. In 2017, 17 whales died from a combination of vessel strikes, entanglements, and unknown causes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They suffered 10 more deaths in 2019. In nearly a decade, 157 right whales have died or suffered serious injuries or illnesses, prompting the declaration of an unusual mortality event (UME) for the species. 'Understanding and investigating marine mammal UMEs is crucial because they can be indicators of ocean health, giving insight into larger environmental issues which may also have implications for human health,' reads the NOAA website. The calving season for the North Atlantic right whale recently ended, with the New England Aquarium reporting 11 confirmed mother-calf pairings. 'If you look over averages, 11 is actually the average number born,' said Kim Elmslie, campaign director with Oceana Canada. 'Last year, 20 calves were born and four of those calves are presumed to have died. 'The ideal number to hit is 50 calves, some models say. In 2009 there were 39 calves born, which is still a low number for this species. Every calf is to be celebrated, but we want to see more.' NOAA estimates there are roughly 370 North Atlantic right whales left; in 2017 that number sat at 431. Fifteen years ago the population rested at 477. Elmslie notes the raw numbers only tell half the story of the challenge facing the species. 'Of that population that are about 370, only 70 are reproductive females,' she said. 'If that number were to drop below 50, we'd have a crisis for the species.' Entanglements pose an ever-present threat to right whales, a fact that was hammered home this week as Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) reported an entangled whale that was spotted on the north shore of the St. Lawrence estuary. Oceana Canada said it was the first reported right whale entanglement in Canadian waters this year. DFO said the whale, which was identified as a juvenile male born in 2021, was first sighted entangled in North Carolina last December. Due to the ongoing entanglements, Oceana Canada has advocated for ropeless fishing gear to reduce the incidents. Elmslie says there is support from the fishing industry for exploring those kinds of opportunities. 'There are some unique opportunities as we see markets start to shift,' she said. 'It's a very interesting time globally. Canada might be poised in an interesting way to take advantage of these opportunities.' As the summer rolls along, Oceana Canada and other organizations will be keeping a close eye on the North Atlantic right whale population. 'Every year, everybody holds their breath,' she said.
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Search continues in the St. Lawrence River for entangled North Atlantic right whale
A North Atlantic right whale dives in Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts, March 27, 2023. (Robert F. Bukaty, NOAA permit # 21371/The Canadian Press/AP) Experts with the federal Fisheries Department and Parks Canada are searching the St. Lawrence River estuary for a North Atlantic right whale tangled in fishing gear. The Fisheries and Oceans Department said the whale was spotted Tuesday on the north shore of the river, near Quebec's Saguenay-St Lawrence Marine Park. The department says its marine mammal response partners are also looking for the whale. It remains unclear whether this is a new or previously known entanglement. The public is being asked to avoid approaching any rescue effort. North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered with fewer than 400 animals remaining in the wild. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
Entangled right whale seen in St. Lawrence River estuary, officials say
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says it's aware of an entangled North Atlantic right whale on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River estuary. It says the whale was spotted in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park on Tuesday from a vessel in the area. The department says officials are trying to find the whale and that they'll try to free it if weather and sea conditions allow. The public is being asked to avoid approaching any rescue effort. Officials say they don't yet know what type of gear the whale is caught in or where the gear came from. They added that they're looking into whether this is a new or a previously known entanglement. North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with fewer than 400 remaining in the wild.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
North Atlantic right whale found entangled in St. Lawrence estuary
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says an entangled North Atlantic right whale has been spotted on the north shore of the St. Lawrence estuary.
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Science
- Associated Press
Endangered whales gave birth to few babies this year as population declines
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) — A vanishing species of whale gave birth to few babies this birthing season, raising alarms among scientists and conservationists who fear the animal could go extinct. The whale is the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers only about 370 and has declined in population in recent years. The whales give birth to calves off the southeastern United States from mid-November to mid-April, and federal authorities have said they need to have at least 50 calves per season to start recovering. The whales didn't come anywhere near that number this year. The calving season produced only 11 mother-calf pairs, scientists with the New England Aquarium in Boston said. The lack of baby whales underscores the need for protection of the whales, conservationists said Monday. The whales are vulnerable to entanglement in marine fishing gear and collisions with large ships. 'They're also reproducing more slowly than they used to,' said the International Fund for Animal Welfare in its calving season report card. 'This is likely due to stress from entanglements, navigation amongst busy maritime traffic, increasing ocean noise, and the changing distribution of their food sources.' The calving season did have some bright spots. Several females gave birth for the first time, and that gives hope for the future, the aquarium said in a statement. The whale population only has about 70 reproductive females left. 'With past calf counts ranging from 39 to zero, we never know how any calving season will unfold. While the calf count is relatively low this year, I am encouraged by four new mothers being added to the reproductive pool,' said Philip Hamilton, senior scientist in the Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life. The whales can weigh up to 150,000 pounds (45,360 kilograms) and were heavily exploited during the era of commercial whaling. They've been protected for decades, but have been slow to recover. In recent years, scientists have said the whales have strayed from established protected zones in search of food, and that has put them at elevated risk of entanglements and collisions. The whales migrate migrate from the south to New England and Canada to feed on tiny ocean organisms.
