Right whales may never breed after run-ins with fishing gear

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

In late January 2024, federal regulators discovered a deceased North Atlantic right whale near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Details:

This incident highlights the grave threat fishing gear entanglement poses to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale population.
Entanglement not only physically harms the whales by embedding ropes into their flesh, causing infections and impeding their ability to feed, but also significantly impacts their reproduction capabilities.
Recent research emphasizes the devastating effects of even “minor” entanglements on female whales’ breeding potential, underscoring the critical need for innovations like ropeless fishing gear to protect this species.

Smaller females having fewer young:

North Atlantic right whales are experiencing significant reproductive challenges, with a notable decline in the number of calves being born, and many females have not reproduced at all
This decrease is partly due to the whales’ deteriorating health and physical condition, exacerbated by entanglements in fishing gear which have led to a decrease in adult body size over the decades.
Smaller female whales are less likely to reproduce, contributing to low calving rates and the species’ decline.

Weak regulations:

Current regulations aimed at protecting the North Atlantic right whales, such as the U.S. Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Canada’s Species at Risk Act, fall short in effectively preventing all types of entanglements.
The categorization of entanglement injuries as minor, moderate, or severe is misleading because even “minor” entanglements can significantly impact whales’ ability to reproduce successfully.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act’s Take Reduction Plans, including measures like using weak links in fishing gear and seasonal closures of fishing areas, are designed to minimize the risk of entanglement. However, the research emphasizes that these measures are insufficient and that the only solution to prevent the extinction of North Atlantic right whales is to eliminate, not just mitigate, entanglements.
Despite some stabilization in whale population numbers, the critical need remains for females to start and continue producing calves to ensure the species’ survival, underlining the urgency of addressing entanglement issues comprehensively.

About the North Atlantic Right Whale:

The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is a type of baleen whale.
It belongs to the genus Eubalaena, which includes three right whale species, previously considered one.
Known for its docile nature, slow surface-skimming feeding behaviours, coastal proximity, and high blubber content, which was valued by whalers for its buoyancy and oil yield.
Historically targeted by whalers due to their desirable traits for whaling.
Conservation Status:
- Among the world’s most endangered whales.
- Protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Canada’s Species at Risk Act.
Population and Migration:
- Approximately 356 individuals remain in the western North Atlantic Ocean.
- Migrate between feeding grounds in the Labrador Sea and winter calving areas off Georgia and Florida, areas with significant shipping traffic.
- In the eastern North Atlantic, with a total population in the low teens, they may be functionally extinct.
Threats:
- Major threats include vessel strikes and entanglement in fixed fishing gear.
- Nearly half of all North Atlantic right whale mortality since 1970 is attributed to these causes, significantly hindering their recovery efforts.

Source: TH