The North Atlantic right whale dropped from a population of 366 in 2019 to 336 in 2020. The whale is listed as endangered.
When the population was originally thriving, they were killed off due to high concentrations of oil. The number is the lowest it’s been in twenty years.
The population was once as high as 480 in 2011, but remain in danger because of fishing gear, hitting ships, and when they do survive face struggles when feeding or mating.
The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium believes that if given the proper conditions it’s possible the population could make a comeback.
The whales live off the coasts of New England and Canada and travel south in the fall.
While different organizations work to help save the population, the fishing industry remains unhappy with regulations placed on them for things like lobster fishing.
The rules went into effect this year, but a federal judge blocked them for fishermen off the coast of Maine.
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