North Atlantic right whales are a critically endangered species. Only 340 individuals are left alive in the world - and only 70 are females of breeding age. We cannot lose a single other whale.
But that didn't stop
a human vessel from
striking a 20-year-old male right whale in the ocean, going at speeds fast enough to cause "catastrophic blunt force trauma."
As a result,
the endangered whale died and washed up on the Virginia shores. The whale must have been in horrific pain, because experts say he suffered several fractures and separations to his vertebrae.
We must protect endangered North Atlantic right whales! Sign the petition to demand justice!Experts aren't entirely sure where the vessel hit him, or what kind of boat or ship killed him. What we do know is that the U.S. government hasn't done enough to protect right whales from these types of man-made assaults. Right now, military gear and vessels traveling lower than 65 feet are exempt from most speed restrictions! That's a lot of whales left unprotected.
Humans are responsible for the three main threats to right whales' survival. These include being struck by human vessels, entanglement in humans' commercial fishing nets or other gear, and feeding and migration changes caused by human-induced climate change.
According to Eric Fuller from the Conservation Law Foundation, "Since 2017,
at least 95 critically endangered right whales have been killed or injured by preventable human causes. Yet nothing has been done to reduce deadly vessel strikes. Right whales have been on this planet for millions of years and we are at risk of losing this entire species because of bureaucratic red tape. That cannot be allowed to continue."
If humans are the problem, then we need to also be the answer! The U.S. government should take accountability and ensure we prevent these unnecessary whale deaths!
North Atlantic right whales are rapidly approaching extinction. With each vessel strike, we launch their population towards species death faster.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must create more strict speed limits on how fast vessels may travel - and it needs to include military vessels as well. Sign the petition to save the last of these whales before they disappear!