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| floating carcass snared in lines |
Six more North Atlantic right whale deaths were recorded in June including a mature breeding female. Each unnatural death is critical for the highly endangered species; only about 411 (2017) remain. A recent study of 70 deaths recorded between 2003 and 2018 showed that 88% were caused by either ship collisions or entanglement in fishing lines.
[photo courtesy NOAA] The mature female named Punctuation, after the scars on her head resembling punctuation marks, was known to have given birth to eight calves, and was the grandmother of two more. Initial necropsies by Canadian officials indicate some of the whales died from ship collisions. Comet, a grandfather, had injuries consistent with blunt force trauma as did Punctuation. The bodies were spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a known feeding ground.
Eighty-three percent all individual North Atlantic right whales have been entangled in fishing gear at least once in their lives, and 59
percent have been entangled two or more times. Both Comet and an 11-year-old female found dead had suffered
several entanglements with fishing gear in recent years. Conservationists have repeatedly made recommendations to government officials to impose speed limits in areas of known right whale activity, and mandating a switch to less dangerous fishing lines. In response to the reported deaths by imposing some regulations including an interim speed limit of 10 knots for vessels longer than 20 meters in the western Gulf shipping lanes. Fishing areas will be adjusted during prime season to account for the presence of right whales feeding in the areas.
Of the three species of right whales, the North Atlantic one (Eubalaena glacialis) lives in the most industrialized region, close to the shore. This habitat subjects them to an unnatural death rate due to human activity. A computer model developed by researchers shows the birth rate to be half what is thought to be intrinsic to the species. The deaths of adult females accounted for about two-thirds
of the difference between the estimated intrinsic growth rate and what
has been observed. Once hunted to near extinction, the species recovered once hunting was banned in 1938, but the population began to decline again in 2010. There were 17 known deaths and five births in 2017. In 2018, no calves were observed in US waters and three deaths were documented. This year seven calves have been spotted.
