South Atlantic right whales: a small increase in the population of this endangered species | TF1 INFORMATION

The Atlantic right whale population saw a slight rebound last year, according to data released Tuesday.

However, this species, which is one of the rarest in the world, is still in danger of extinction.

Their number increased to 373 in 2023. This may not seem like much, and yet the North Sea right whale population has seen a small increase of 4% compared to the lowest reached in 2020, with 358 individuals recorded, according to the New England Aquarium and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

However, this stability should not be seen as a turning point, conservationists say, as the most serious threats still exist for these marine giants, namely ship strikes and fishing nets. These then prevent them from feeding, breeding or moving freely, or even cutting their flesh, causing disease.

Although we are happy to see that the population has not decreased, we are still very concerned

Kathleen Collins, manager at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Climate change is also exacerbating the situation by altering the distribution of zooplankton, the whales’ main food source. “Although we are pleased to see that the population estimate has not decreased, we are still very concerned.”said Kathleen Collins, an official at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

There may have been up to 20,000 individuals of this species of large marine mammal, approximately twenty meters long, before the advent of large-scale commercial fishing that decimated their population. They were a favorite of predatory fishermen, hunted mainly for their fat used in lamps, and for their baleen (used to filter food), a flexible material useful at a time when there was no plastic yet.

Whaling was last banned in 1935, leading to a peak of 483 individuals in 2010, before a decade-long decline began.

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In 2022, NOAA proposed to extend the regulations on boat speed restrictions, for a longer period of time throughout the year and over a larger area. But this regulation is still under investigation. “The US government is too busy playing politics, rather than saving this species while it has a chance to survive.”they complained to Kathleen Collins.

Some progress has also been made in terms of fishing equipment, to avoid long lines tying crab or lobster traps. For example, some will only rise to the surface when a fisherman triggers them. But the use of these technologies is still rare.