Update: It's devastating news. Scientists warn that, without government protections and fast action, the entire North Atlantic right whale species will be extinct soon.
There's never been a more critical and urgent time to take action to save these majestic whales. Please sign and share!
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The North Atlantic right whale is under threat of extinction. Only 400 still exist, and of these, fewer than 100 are breeding females.
2017 was a particularly terrible year for these endangered marine mammals: 17 have been found dead, many as a result of collisions with vessels or entanglements with fishing gear. Then, in 2018, we learned even more bad news: the winter calving season for these critically endangered whales ended without a single newborn calf being spotted off the southeast U.S. coast.
It's imperative that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service step up their protection of the North Atlantic right whale by tracking them, removing lines from the water (line free fishing) from fisheries that could cause deadly entanglements, and requiring vessels to change routes as necessary.
Humans are one of the largest threats to these whales' survival. While these whales can live up to 100 years old in the wild without human interference, many are dying at just 30 or 40 years of age after interactions with humans — or our shipping or fishing gear — turns deadly. Up to 90 percent of their deaths are due to collisions with shipping vessels or becoming entangled in fishing equipment.
Please join in demanding the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service take these steps today to help save the North Atlantic right whale from extinction.
