North Atlantic right whales record 15 calves this winter, but extinction threat persists

With a population of an estimated 384 animals, the species requires approximately 50 or more calves per year for many years to stop its decline and allow for recovery, NOAA said, while a federal moratorium on protective rules for the whales remains in effect through 2028.

Researchers have identified 15 North Atlantic right whale calves during the current winter birth season off the southeastern United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday — a count higher than two of the last three winters, but far short of what scientists say the species needs to halt its path toward extinction.

The current tally is up from 11 calves last winter, according to NOAA data. But the agency said in a statement that the species needs “approximately 50 or more calves per year for many years” to stop its decline and allow for recovery — a benchmark the current season has no prospect of meeting.

“We’re not going to be able to calve ourselves to recovery,” said Gib Brogan, senior campaign director with environmental group Oceana. “We also need to be doing more to tackle the two primary causes of right whale deaths, being entanglement in fishing gear and being hit by boats.”

Population remains in crisis

The North Atlantic right whale population is estimated at 384 animals and has been rising slowly after several years of decline. Scientists who study the species said the population has gained more than 7% of its 2020 count. Despite that trend, NOAA said in its statement that there have been more deaths than births in the population over the past decade.

The whales give birth each winter off the southeastern United States before migrating north to feed. They are vulnerable to entanglement in commercial fishing gear and collisions with large ships, and scientists have said the whales are less likely to reproduce when they have suffered injuries or are underfed.

The 15 calves recorded this season exceed the totals from two of the past three winters but remain well below the historical ceiling for recent years. Right whales have reached 20 calves in a single winter only twice since 2010, according to NOAA data. In 2018, no calves were born at all.

Brogan said additional calves could still be born before the winter birth season ends, but that reaching 50 is not a reasonable expectation given the shortage of reproductive females in the current population.

Federal protections under moratorium

The two primary threats to the species — ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement — have been the subject of ongoing federal regulatory disputes. The federal government is currently in the midst of a moratorium on federal rules designed to protect right whales that runs through 2028. Commercial fishing groups have pushed for a proposal to extend that pause for even longer, according to the Associated Press.

Brogan said the current calf count, while higher than some recent seasons, does not change the species’ fundamental situation without stronger legal action to address the threats driving deaths.

The whales were hunted to the brink of extinction during the commercial whaling era and have received federal protection for decades. NOAA said the population remains in crisis because mortality has outpaced reproduction over the past 10 years.