One of the rarest species of marine mammals, the North Atlantic right whale, is showing encouraging results in the current breeding season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported the discovery of 15 calves off the southeastern coast of the United States. This is reported by UNN.
Details
Currently, the population of these whales is approximately 384 individuals. Although this year's figure is higher than in previous seasons (only 11 calves were recorded last winter), scientists warn against excessive optimism. For the full recovery of the species, at least 50 calves must be born annually for a long time.
The main threats to survival remain collisions with large vessels and entanglement in fishing gear. The situation is complicated by a moratorium on the introduction of new protective rules for shipping, which will be in effect until 2028.
Reproduction problems
Experts note that due to the low number of females capable of reproduction, the figure of 50 calves per year remains unattainable for now. In addition, injuries and lack of food force whales to reproduce much less often than is necessary to stabilize the population.
We cannot recover on our own. We also need to do more to combat the two main causes of right whale deaths: entanglement in fishing gear and boat strikes,
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