North Atlantic right whale births increase

Scientists monitoring North Atlantic right whales have recorded an increase in births this winter, with fifteen calves identified so far. This is an encouraging figure for a population that has struggled to sustain itself. However, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries estimates that around 50 calves a year, sustained over many years, would be needed to put the species on a clear path to recovery. The threats to the whale are familiar and well-documented: entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with large vessels, and chronic stress that leaves females underfed and less likely to reproduce.