North Atlantic Right Whales - Oceana USA

North Atlantic Right Whales

Saving North Atlantic Right Whales from Extinction

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Overview

Oceana seeks to reduce threats to North Atlantic right whales, including entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with boats.

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered large whales on the planet. They were named for being the “right” whale to hunt because they were often found near shore, swim slowly and tend to float when killed. North Atlantic right whale populations first crashed due to whaling until hunting this species was banned in 1935. Now the whales are on the brink of extinction mostly due to threats from speeding boats and entanglement in fishing gear. At normal operating speeds, vessels cannot maneuver to avoid right whales, putting the whales at great risk of strikes, which can cause deadly injuries from blunt force trauma or cuts from the propellers. Additionally, a jungle of roughly one million fishing lines sprawls across right whale migration routes, calving, and feeding areas in the U.S. and Canada. These ropes have been seen wrapped around right whales’ mouths, fins, tails and bodies, and cut into the whales’ flesh, which can lead to life-threatening infections. Emerging threats like seismic airgun blasting, a process used to search for oil and gas deep below the seafloor, put the species at even greater risk. Today, only about 372 North Atlantic right whales remain, including around 70 breeding females. To reverse course, North Atlantic right whales must be protected from fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes. Reducing the amount of vertical lines from fishing gear in the water and requiring boats to slow down can help save North Atlantic right whales.

Take Action

HELP PROTECT NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES FROM SPEEDING BOATS

North Atlantic right whales are washing up dead along the East Coast of the United States from gruesome boat strikes. Tell President Biden to issue the pending rule that would require boats to slow down for the whales.

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