Recent Scientific Publications Cast Doubt on North Atlantic Right Whale Future

From these large datasets, mathematical models that describe trends in population growth and demographics as well as the effects of human activities on health and mortality have been developed (Schick et al., 2013; Robbins et al., 2015; Rolland et al., 2016). Since 1980, the leading causes of mortality in right whales have been collisions with ships and entanglements in fishing gear, which combined caused half of the 99 confirmed right whale deaths (Van der Hoop et al., 2013). Since U.S. NOAA regulations lowered ship speed limits in the vicinity of right whale habitats in 2008, deaths from vessel strikes have declined (Laist et al., 2014; Van der Hoop et al., 2015). Three, mortalities and serious injuries from fishing gear entanglements remain far higher than the limits mandated by US Endangered Species Act and Canadian Species At Risk Act regulations, further jeopardizing recovery and leaving the population vulnerable to declines (Knowlton et al., 2015; Waring et al., 2016). [...]right whales are not yet a conservation success story.