to save the right whale, we need your help before September 16

Make no mistake about it: The North Atlantic right whale is on the brink of extinction.

This summer, eight right whales were found dead in Canadian waters, representing roughly two percent of the entire population. With now likely fewer than 400 individuals left, every death represents a serious blow to the hopes for recovery of the species. Unfortunately, the deaths we saw this summer were not the result of old age or other natural causes, nor were they anomalies.

Between 2003 and 2018, approximately 90 percent of right whale mortalities, where cause of death could be definitively determined, were due to one of two causes: commercial fishing gear entanglement or ship strike. While the causes of mortality are essential to consider, these activities have devastating impacts even without acute death. For example, entanglement (being tightly wrapped in rope) can have drastic impacts on a whale’s overall body condition and affect a female’s ability to bring a calf to term, exacerbating an already low birthing rate. If the whales are unable to breed, the future of the species is in peril.

Human activity is standing in the way of the recovery of the right whale species, preventing these marine mammals from propagating and living full and healthy lives. But while human activity is driving the species toward extinction, human activity is also the best hope for its recovery.

Some may argue that because whales are dying in Canada, the Canadians are solely responsible for taking action. IFAW, other conservation organizations, and marine scientists flatly reject that assertion. True, the most recent whale deaths occurred in Canada, but significant threats persist in US waters. The US has its own responsibility to do everything possible to protect this critically endangered species, which travels, feeds, and breeds off of our shores. The right whale knows no international boundaries. Our recovery efforts mustn’t either.

Saving the right whale will require creative collaboration between conservationists, the fishing and shipping industries, and governments on both sides of the border to find sustainable solutions that will help the right whale come back from the brink of extinction while ensuring our coastal economies continue to thrive.

Fortunately, we have an opportunity to make our voices heard. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is currently soliciting public comments on how best to reduce the risk and instances of entanglement for right whales. This public comment period, also known as ‘scoping,’ comes after NOAA consulted the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (ALWTRT), an advisory group comprised of stakeholders from the trap/pot fishing industries, scientists, as well as conservationists. At a meeting in April, this group made recommendations on how to reduce the risk and severity of entanglements by 60 percent. NOAA must consider all of this input as it studies options and develops its eventual rules.  

NOAA’s public scoping meetings, recently held in Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, served as a vivid illustration of the vast array of stakeholders who are invested in a successful collaborative approach to this very urgent challenge. The meetings provided encouragement for both conservationists and industry, with vibrant discussion of technological advancements like ropeless lobster gear which could eliminate the threat of entanglement.

But here is where you can help. The public comment period will close on September 16th, and we need you to make your voice heard. We need to let NOAA and other stakeholders know it is vital that technology-based solutions that can protect both the right whales and the fishing industry must be considered in the final rule making.

This critical time could very well represent the right whale’s last chance for survival. IFAW will continue to support the collaborative drive for solutions that protect the right whale and benefit the industry. Ropeless gear technology is being tested and is quickly advancing as an option to achieve these goals.

Together, we can make a difference. Please take a moment to make your voice heard by telling NOAA you support collaborative solutions to the North Atlantic right whale crisis.