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After years of concern from scientists trying to save the North Atlantic right whale from extinction, this birthing season offers a glimpse of the future with “cautious optimism”, according to an expert of the species which is involved in the protection of this cetacean increasingly present in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in summer.
On January 17, American scientists who monitor the coastal areas where the birthing season takes place were able to observe the 14e calf for the 2023-2024 season. He was swimming with his 23-year-old mother off the coast of Florida.
It should be noted, however, that three calves will likely have to be removed from the list. One of them, less than two months old, was fatally injured by a boat propeller earlier in January. Two others are said to have disappeared. The birth toll so far would therefore be 11 calves, but the season continues until March.
For biologist Lyne Morissette, a specialist in marine mammals and the functioning of ecosystems, the data is nevertheless encouraging so far. “It’s a season that promises to be positive. But I am cautiously optimistic, because we would need many more births to hope to see the population recover,” she explains to Duty.
“Beyond 20 calves, we can speak of a good birthing season,” adds Ms. Morissette, who actively participates in scientific work aimed at the protection of this species, classified “endangered” under the Act on species at risk in Canada.
It should be noted that North Atlantic right whales face several threats that can put them at risk, including collisions with ships, entanglements in fishing gear and lack of food due to warming waters. .
Entanglements
However, the efforts of recent decades have demonstrated that it is possible for the species to regain strength. In the early 1990s, there were only 275 North Atlantic right whales. With the implementation of significant protection measures in U.S. waters—changing shipping routes, adopting rules for commercial fishing, and creating a monitoring system—the population of the species had reached 500 individuals in 2010.
Today it reaches, at best, 364 individuals. The decline is such that births are failing to fill the void left by deaths, a situation that represents an “unsustainable burden on the species,” according to Heather Pettis, a researcher at the New England Aquarium (NEAQ). .
According to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, which brings together Canadian and American scientists, the reproduction rate of these cetaceans has also declined significantly in recent years, so much so that “the low births each year have eliminated the capacity of the population to grow and cope with mortality caused by humans.
According to New England Aquarium researchers, in some cases, females that become entangled in fishing gear may not be able to reproduce due to the significant impact of these incidents. on their health.
Virtually all females who have given birth since the start of the 2023-2024 season have already been victims of more than one entanglement, according to NEAQ data. One of these females was even entangled eight times during her life.
And the existence of calves is also fragile from the first days, underlines Lyne Morissette. “Calves are more vulnerable, in particular because they must learn to live in an environment where threats are significant, such as maritime navigation. The first weeks are critical for survival. »
According to the scientist, the issues of protecting the species are increasingly important in Canada, since a significant part of the population spends the summer in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This situation is likely attributable to the movement of the zooplankton on which right whales feed, a change linked to the warming of the waters of the American east coast.