| What is the problem? |
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Fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales remain and the population is declining. |
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Right Whale coastal habitat along the eastern U.S. and Canada is heavily industrialized and under increasing negative pressures from human activities. |
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Mortality from ship-strikes and fishing-gear entanglements is driving the species toward extinction. |
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On average only 11 calves are born per year, this is only 1/3 of the expected birth rate and less than the present annual death rate. |
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| What actions must be taken to effect the solutions? |
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| 1. Eliminate human-caused mortality to right whales in critical habitats and migration corridors |
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| Reduce and eliminate mortality and injury from ship-strikes via: |
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Ship rerouting around critical areas |
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Ship speed reduction to “whale safe” speeds |
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Advanced technology to help ships avoid right whales |
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Reduce and eliminate mortality and injury from fishing-gear
entanglements via: |
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Universal fishing-gear modifications |
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Seasonal time and area fishing-gear closures |
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Modify fishing practices |
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| 2. Protect right whale habitats |
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Assess patterns of known critical habitat use by right whales and humans and eliminate conflict |
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Locate the other critical habitats not yet identified but known to exist |
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Protect critical habitats using a range of tools (including some of the means identified above) |
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Advance effective protection of known habitats and protect other habitats as they become known. |
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| 3. Assess factors that reduce reproductive success of right whales |
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Identify and assess actual and potential threats in right whale habitats that reduce reproductive success |
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Reduce and eliminate threats as they become identified |
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| Essential resources and tools |
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Information based on credible science that can address uncertainties |
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International and national leadership, coordination and cooperation |
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Political will at all jurisdictional levels |
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Coordination and integration of Canadian and U.S. recovery plans, processes and policy development |
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Multi-year continuity in funding for research, monitoring and stewardship to capitalize on insights and advance policy and conservation initiatives |
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Public and private partnerships, stakeholder and institutional commitment |
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Education |
