According to a recent study, the severely endangered North Atlantic right whale population is still declining.
According to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, there were 340 right whales as of last year, down from the 348 that were counted in 2020.
The Boston-based consortium, which includes more than 200 conservation, government and industry organizations, says female right whales are getting smaller and are having fewer calves.
Only 15 calves, significantly fewer than the average of 24 reported in the early 2000s, according to the consortium, were born in 2022.
As well, the group determined there were no first-time mothers this season, which supports earlier research showing a downward trend in the number of female right whales capable of breeding.
Recent studies have discovered indications that the remaining whales are shrinking, possibly as a result of repeated entanglement in fishing gear, with smaller female right whales giving birth to fewer calves.
Even though the general population reduction has slowed, there are still around the same number of right whales as there were in 2001.
Although there haven’t been any confirmed right whale deaths so far this year, scientists are nonetheless concerned about the species, which is among the world’s most endangered big whales.
The absence of right whale deaths in 2022 has received a lot of attention, which is unquestionably a positive development, according to the consortium’s chairman Scott Kraus, who released a statement today.
“While we might be cautiously optimistic in this regard, we do know that only one third of right whale fatalities are noticed, making it likely that some whales have perished this year that were not. In addition, the number of right whale injuries due to humans continues to be unacceptably high.
The Canadian Press first released this article on October 24, 2022.
Right whale populations in the North Atlantic continue to fall, according to a study
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