After years of decline, there is evidence of an uptick in the North Atlantic right whale population.
The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium announced on Tuesday morning the 2023 estimated population at 372 whales, which includes 12 calves birthed over the year.
Overall, the population estimate is an increase from 2022, when the consortium estimated the population at 360 whales.
“To see the population estimate increasing gives us hope that what felt like a free fall over the past decade may be behind us,” Heather Pettis, a research scientist in the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center and the chair of the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, said in a statement announcing the new population estimate. “While we still have a great deal of work to do to ensure that this species not only recovers but thrives, it feels really good to be able to share a little bit of positive news.”
Scientists are cautioning the good news, emphasizing there are still ongoing threats to the critically endangered species. The consortium anticipates that due to mortalities in 2024, the population count may be lower next year.
“I wish we could infer that this paints a rosy picture for the future, but the 2024 mortalities and serious injuries are sobering,” Philip Hamilton, senior scientist and identification database curator at the Anderson Cabot Center, said in a statement. “While the whales may be adapting to a rapidly changing environment, the continued high level of mortality and serious injury clearly shows we must continue to adapt and evolve our management.”
The consortium has been counting right whales since 1990. The population had reached nearly 500 individuals in 2011 at the height of the count before there was a “steady decline” in the species between 2013 and 2020.
Vessel strikes and entanglements are the leading causes of death for right whales, scientists have reported. Of the nine right whales that died in 2024, three were killed by vessel strike; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined that a female juvenile that washed ashore onto Edgartown in January succumbed to injuries caused by chronic entanglement.
Additionally, the consortium reports that 13 right whales were hurt this year by “human-caused injuries,” including entanglements and vessel strikes.
Still, calving numbers have improved this decade compared to the 2010s, although they are still below the numbers from the 2000s.
The next calving season will start in December. Hamilton said “one big question” is whether the over 40 adult females that have delayed giving birth to their first calf will finally enter the breeding pool.
Various stakeholders from the United States and Canada are pushing for more measures to protect right whales. The consortium notes promising advancements in ropeless fishing gear, although widespread implementation of the technology will require “significant financial support” to boost manufacturing and support the fishing industry’s adoption of ropeless gear.
NOAA has also been working to bolster its vessel speed restrictions to improve safety for right whales, although the measure has seen pushback from the maritime industry and some members of Congress.
This measure has garnered support from conservationists, like the conservation nonprofit Oceana.
“NOAA’s proposed vessel speed rule to update slow zones for ships would have protected these whales when they were at their most vulnerable, but this plan is gathering dust after more than 800 days,” Gib Brogan, Oceana’s U.S. campaign director, said in a statement. “President [Joe] Biden must approve and implement the updated vessel speed rule soon, before we see moms and calves on our shores this calving season instead of in our waters.”
How can any of this be clearer ? The whales really like the
windmills. The low frequency “vibrations” from the mills
sound like romantic music to them, and directly contributes to
the increased birth rate. There can be no other explanation.
Just look at the numbers since some of these came on line.
Are they picking up on the windfarm good vibrations.
Albert– It’s pretty obvious– there have been reports
of record numbers of whales right in between the towers.
There was even one last summer that apparently swam all the way
from the Pacific Ocean, through the Northwest passage to get here and
get down to the vibes… Others were seen jumping for joy
right off the south shore. Now if only some people could
could get past the misinformation and get on board the soul train !
Make whales great again !
Hooray for wind turbines! The whales love them. No more crude oil polluting their environment.
Thank you to everyone who help the whales survive and thrive.
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