PCCS Scientists Author Article in the Journal Science on Crisis Facing Right Whales

Fourteen other scientists co-authored the article, "North Atlantic Right Whales in Crisis."

Scientists recommend reducing ship speeds in areas used by whales, and in some cases, re-routing marine traffic - both commercial and military - out of known right whale habitat areas. The authors also urge NOAA Fisheries to reduce and modify fishing gear to bring down the rate of entanglement. Four of the eight right whale carcasses found over the last 16 months showed clear evidence of human-induced trauma, including three ship strike victims and one that died of entanglement-related wounds. Lethal entanglements in fishing gear and ship strikes are leading causes of death for right whales, and the authors advocate swifter action to save the species.

Eight right whale carcasses were discovered in the past 16 months - from a population of only 350. The authors of the Science article argue that known deaths - whale carcasses actually discovered - represent only a portion of the deaths. "If the 17% mortality detection rate from the last 20 years has remained constant, as many as 47 right whales could have died in the last 16 months."

Of these eight known deaths, six were mature females and at least three of these whales were carrying fetuses. "The loss of this number of whales, particularly this number of reproductive females, in such a short period, is unprecedented in 25 years of study of this species," the article reads. "Four of these females were just starting to bear calves, and since the average lifetime calf production is 5.25 calves, the deaths of these females represent a lost reproductive potential of as many as 21 animals."

Despite the discovery of 28 right whale calves this year, their births may not be enough to offset the losses for the species: "Calf production has increased recently, raising doubts in some quarters about the urgency of the mortality problem…the effects of recent increases in birth rate are too small to overcome this decline."

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Scott Landry
Whale Disentanglement Program
Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies
(508) 487-3623 x102
sclandry@coastalstudies.org

Theresa M. Barbo
Director of Communications
Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies
(508) 487-3622 x103 (office)
(774) 353-8034 (mobile)
ccsmedia@coastalstudies.org