WELCOME TO BILL'S CORNER!July, 2005 | (archive)Dear Constituents, As I look at the issues NOAA Fisheries Service faces today, the plight of the critically endangered right whale stands out as one of our most difficult and important challenges. Our scientists and managers are tackling this challenge head on. Historically depleted by commercial whaling, the North Atlantic right whale population at present numbers approximately 300 individuals. As they migrate, feed and raise their young in both the U.S. and Canadian waters, they pass through shipping lanes and fishing areas, where they suffer injury and death from being incidentally hit by big ships or entangled in fishing gear. So even though they are no longer hunted, the population continues to struggle to survive and recover. We have some of the best minds in the world looking at ways to help right whales survive, through development of new fishing gear and consideration of traffic lanes and ship speed reduction that will allow whales to migrate and feed safely through a given area. On June 1, we released a formal plan to promote the recovery of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. This right whale recovery plan will boost the number of right whales through a framework of management and research efforts. It highlights the necessity of reducing or eliminating right whale deaths and injuries from shipping and fishing operations. On June 21, NOAA Fisheries Service announced the publication of a proposed rule to further reduce the serious injury and mortality of all large whales, including right whales, due to entanglement in fishing gear along the U.S. east coast. We also conduct research and solicit ideas from the fishing industry and scientists on promising ways to modify fishing gear. We are also working with the State of Maine and others to conduct a workshop on gear technology. On June 22, NOAA Fisheries Service published a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for our Ship Strike Reduction Strategy. Once implemented, this strategy will help reduce deaths to whales as a result of ship strikes along the east coast. In addition, NOAA Fisheries Service scientists and managers conduct aerial surveys for right whales, and continually pass this information on to the Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and commercial mariners. We developed and manage a program to educate mariners about the vulnerability of right whales to ship strikes, and provide information in national and international publications to help ships’ captains avoid whales. On the surface, it looks like we might have some good news for right whales this year. Our biologists recently informed me that they have sighted and counted 28 right whale mom-calf pairs so far in 2005, making this one of the best years in a long time for right whales. However, a lot can happen to right whale calves before they reach maturity. Not all of the calves will survive to adulthood (between eight and 12 years old), when they can reproduce and contribute back to the population. For that reason, we know that the most important segment of the right whale population are reproducing adults – particularly females. Unfortunately, there have been a number of deaths in this segment of the population in 2004 and 2005. NOAA Fisheries Service and our partners maintain databases of all known individuals. In our aerial surveys and ship surveys, biologists check on their status and study their conditions, overall health and behavior. We do not see every right whale that dies. Some drift out to sea undetected and some sink to the bottom of the sea. My scientists may not see an individual for several years, which makes it difficult or impossible to know the status of a particular right whale. We are not always sure whether they survive. Our scientists know of four reported deaths of right whales in 2004. The terrible mortality events over the past few years have emphasized what
NOAA Fisheries Service previously realized: recovery efforts for the critically
endangered right whale cannot let up. NOAA Fisheries Service scientists
and managers continue to work with our partners on many fronts, to learn
as much
as we can about right whales, and to continue to develop ways to help
them survive. It’s a tough job, but one that we must, and do, take
very seriously. We also appreciate the support and assistance from our partners
as we try to recover the right whale population. You’ll see a lot more
on this in coming months and years.  Bill Hogarth Director, National Marine Fisheries Service References Ship Strike Reduction Strategy NOAA Fisheries Service’s Whale Information Site Press Release: |
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