Only 366 North Atlantic right whales are left, representing a shocking 8% decline in a single year and the lowest number in about 20 years for this famous species. Human impacts—specifically fishing nets and ship strikes —remain the biggest threats to the survival of this species in eastern Canada and the United States.
North Atlantic right whales have been in decline since 2011 when the species was at an estimated 481. In the past decade, it has decreased by 30%. Recent research shows these threats are affecting their overall health with less energy to devote toward growth and reproduction (繁殖), and body lengths reducing over the past four decades. Researchers estimate there are fewer than 100 breeding (繁育的) females alive and more than 86% of identified whales had been entangled (被网困住) at least once in their lifetime.
There is still hope: in 2021, scientists tracked 18 mother-kid pairs, a number that is cause for optimism—though still well below the annual average of 23 pairs from the previous decade.
Industry representatives, government agencies, and organizations, including WWF, gathered in October 2021 at the annual North Atlantic Right Whale Association meeting to discuss and arrange right whale conservation efforts in the US and Canada.
“It's going to be challenging, but everyone involved in right whale conservation believes we can create an environment where right whales can bounce back,” said Chris Johnson, the global leader for WWF's Protecting Whales and Dolphins initiative. “However, it's going to take significant investment and the greatest urgency and commitment to create conditions where we prevent entanglements and collisions with ship in the whales' critical habitats.”
