First Calf of the Season Spotted for Critically Endangered Right Whales
Long-term Solutions Needed to Reduce Entanglements and Ship Strikes
Press Release Date: November 28, 2024
Media contacts: Vaishali Dassani, Oceana Canada, vdassani@oceana.ca, 647-294-3335; Angela Pinzon, Pilot PMR, angela.pinzon@pilotpmr.com, 647-295-0517
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWC) has announced the first right whale calf sighting of the season. Boaters initially spotted the calf on November 24 off Cape Romain, South Carolina. While researchers could not immediately identify the mother, aerial surveys between November 20 and 25 spotted three potential mothers: Black Heart, Koala, and Curlew. FWC will continue to monitor additional sightings to confirm the identity of the mother-calf pair.
Below is Oceana Canada’s response from campaign director Kim Elmslie:
“The birth of a new calf in this critically endangered population is cause for celebration and hope. This new calf represents a beacon of possibility for a fragile whale population, which now only numbers around 370 individuals, including just 70 breeding-age females.
Last year 20 calves were born, but tragically, nine whales were killed or presumed dead — including five calves. Now is the time for the government to take decisive action to ensure the future of these calves by addressing the two greatest threats: entanglements in fishing gear and ship strikes.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada must urgently accelerate the transition to ropeless fishing gear, and Transport Canada must implement mandatory, season-long vessel slowdowns across the whales’ full migration route when they are in Canadian waters. These measures are essential to safeguard the future of this iconic species.”
Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to ban single-use plastics, end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and governments to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits, and protect our future. Find out more at www.oceana.ca.
