Boats and fishing gear are the only killers of adult right whales in the modern day. Photo by NOAA.
October 22, 2024 (Boston, MA) – There are only approximately 372 surviving North Atlantic right whales, according to an estimate just released by scientists. This is a small increase over last year’s estimate of the critically endangered species’ population. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement in response.
“This is positive news, but it falls short of the progress that right whales desperately need. The species won’t fully recover until the government steps up to protect the whales from being struck by boats and entangled in fishing gear,” said Erica Fuller, Senior Attorney at CLF. “With calving season around the corner, it’s time to take action before right whales experience any more unnecessary and tragic losses.”
Boats and fishing gear are the only killers of adult right whales in the modern day. This population increase shows that right whales can still recover, but only if humans stop killing them. We urge the federal government to release a vessel speed rule that will minimize boat and right whale collisions and to require ropeless fishing gear in areas of high risk to protect whales from entanglement.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
###