Regina: First of all, you’re doing a lot as a supporter of WDC! North Atlantic right whales are now considered one step away from complete eradication. Published July 9, 2020 Updated July 14, 2020 WASHINGTON — When boaters spotted a dead North Atlantic right whale off Elberon, N.J., on June 25, … This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public. There are so few North Atlantic right whales left in the world’s oceans – estimates hover around 400 – that many are known entities to the scientists who devote their careers to saving them. North Atlantic right whales are in worse shape than their southern cousins, in part due to entanglement in fishing gear, a new study says. With a difference of 46 whales between estimates, I had some questions about how all of this works and what it means for North Atlantic right whales. Since a large number of right whale deaths reduced the already dwindling population in 2017, Canada's federal government has taken measures to prevent ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries. Stay tuned! FILE - In this March 28, 2018 file photo, a North Atlantic right whale feeds on the surface of Cape Cod bay off the coast of Plymouth, Mass. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans. Now, their biggest threats include getting entangled in fishing gear and struck by vessels. North Atlantic right whales are among the rarest marine mammals in the world, and they have endured a deadly year. Lobster Fishing Areas 33 and 34 from Halifax to Digby are the most valuable in Canada. That’s a loss of 46 whales since the previous January. Their population is estimated to have just over 400 individuals remaining. Another way to help is by sharing this on social media! Right whales help us fight climate change, but their food is also impacted by changing water temperatures. What can we all do to help the number of right whales go up instead of down? Adult North Atlantic right whales average 13–16 m (43–52 ft) in length and weigh approximately 40,000 to 70,000 kg (44 to 77 short tons), they are slightly smaller on average than the North Pacific species. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, some 366 whales … Donate. During the 20th century, a total of 360,000 blue whales were killed in the Antarctic. Conservation groups are suing the feds for quicker action under the Endangered Species Act and other laws. The right whale is swimming towards extinction but we could help save it. When I first read the differences in the numbers, I immediately opened the calculator on my phone to see that it was a difference of 46 whales!! We are also part of the Ropeless Consortium where scientists, fishermen, and conservation groups are working together to test new fishing gear that would reduce the amount of rope in the water, but still allow fishing in commercially valuable habitats. These whales are baleen whales, feeding on shrimp-like krill and small fish by straining huge volumes of ocean w… The SAVE Right Whales Act would provide 5 million dollars each year for 10 years towards the protection of North Atlantic right whales. Instead, individual whales are tracked by photographs taken during surveys. The implications for the lobster fishery are potentially dramatic. Just like doing your taxes, you have to wait for the whole year to be over to have a final figure. Thu 16 Jul 2020 06.00 EDT 12.10 EDT A North Atlantic right whale feeds on the surface of Cape Cod bay off the coast of Massachusetts. The whales, which have their calves off the coast of Georgia and north Florida, make sounds, but scientists had never found evidence of the mothers calling to their … Two other species of right whale exist in the worlds oceans: the North Pacific right whale, which is found in the Pacific Ocean, and the southern right whale, which is found in the southern hemisphere. The Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature said Thursday, July 9, 2020, it is moving the North Atlantic right whale from "endangered" to "critically endangered" on its Red List of jeopardized species. North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with only about 400 left in the world. You may also know that some students moved away and are no longer at the school so you can remove them from your count. “North Atlantic right whales are in crisis, and these critically endangered animals need protection from deadly entanglements now,” said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. We can tell individual right whales apart based on a pattern of bumps on their heads that are a yellow-whitish color. Soon, the US National Marine Fisheries Service will be putting out a proposal for new regulations to reduce entanglements and we are going to ask you speak up and give right whales a voice by signing our response letter. If they are in the picture most years, then you can assume they are still attending that school. There are just 500 North Atlantic right whales left, experts say . To learn more about the SAVE Right Whales Act, visit our FAQ. Left unchecked, human activity killing the North Atlantic right whales could make them go extinct in 20 years, experts say. Georgia Dept. However, according to some data, the blue whales off Iceland are believed to be just 1,000 or even more. If multiple years go by where they are not in the picture, there’s a good chance they are no longer attending that school. By Ephrat Livni. Why is the January 2019 estimate just being released at the end of 2020? The largest measured specimens have been 18.5 m (61 ft) long and 106,000 kg (234,000 lb). Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Watch an owl swoop down on a skunk in this remarkable trail cam photo, 5 more Portland restaurants that closed during the pandemic, Maine CDC reports 7 deaths and 406 cases in the state, Maine will give one $600 check to unemployed workers as federal benefits expire, Millinocket police chief accused of sexual harassment has been fired, Newport woman pleads guilty to stealing more than $250K from nonprofits. The estimate is not significantly lower so we are hoping the 366 number is a fairly accurate estimate. Now there are about 10,000-15,000 southern right whales. Wolverine, a 9-year-old male named after the three propeller scars on his tail, was found dead in … Regina: Great question. WDC and its partners also filed a petition this summer demanding the federal government revise its ship strike speed rule to include new areas where right whales are now feeding and socializing. of Natural Resources/NOAA Permit 15488, Saving the endangered North Atlantic right whale, Meet Delilah – Our Inflatable North Atlantic Right Whale, Sharing the Seas – Safe Boating for Sailors, US Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team, Right whales help us fight climate change. Help make 3 major investigative reports happen in 2021 on one big industry's effort to bully Canada. By Jayson MacLean. The news items I have read said that the previous estimates for number of right whales were too high. They aren't  being found in repeated surveys, but we didn't know for sure that they had died. Regina has been working in right whale conservation for 30 years and also acts as the right whale policy lead for WDC. 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