The North Atlantic right whale is critically endangered and its population continues to decline. The estimated number of whales is currently at its lowest level in almost 20 years. The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium is based in the U.S. and combines close to 40 organizations to track the population.
According to the consortium, the population dropped to 336 in 2020, which is an eight per cent decrease from 2019. It further explained that the whale population has been on a downward trajectory since 2011 when there were 481 whales. These whales tend to spend their summers in Canadian waters and since 2011 their population has shrunk by 30 per cent.
The consortium said the species’ biggest threats are entanglements in fixed fishing gear and vessel strikes. More estimates say the number of breeding females is fewer than 100. The chairman of the consortium, Dr. Scott Kraus said “There is no question that human activities are driving this species toward extinction,”
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