With only an estimated 30 North Pacific right whales left in Alaska, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others hope to revise the critical habitat for the endangered species to support its population growth.
for the endangered species to support its population growth. If the estimated count of eastern North Pacific right whales is accurate, it would make the species the most endangered whale population in the world.from the Center for Biological Diversity and Save the North Pacific Right Whale, both of whom requested the expansion of the critical habitat for the rare whale.
There are two populations of North Pacific right whales — which are genetically distinct populations and scientists say not breed together. The population of whales living off the coast of Russia and Japan is faring considerably better than the population living off the U.S. coast. The western stock of the North Pacific right whale is estimated to have several hundred individuals.
“We’re learning more and more about the critical areas where these whales feed and where they migrate to and in doing so we can increase their protections and help them not only survive, but recover,” Freeman said. NOAA’s use of critical habitat is a mitigation effort, instead of a regulation effort. The designation of critical habitat means federal agencies can’t permit, fund, or carry out activities that are likely to negatively affect the habitat.
Aside from the North Pacific right whale, there are two other species of right whales in the world. Scientists believe these whales were severely hunted during commercial whaling activities in the 19th and 20th centuries, along with illegal whaling in the 1960s and 1970s, leading to their decline. The North Pacific right whale has the smallest population of the three.
In addition, NOAA does not have designated funding for the North Pacific right whales, making it more challenging to confirm how many whales there are.
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