North Atlantic right whale - Threats

The tragedy of being slow, close to land and rich in oil

North Atlantic populations have been decimated by historical over-exploitation by the whaling industry. The species gets its names from early whalers, who considered them to be the "right" whales to hunt. Their slower pace, the fact that they come close to land, their tendency to float after being killed and their "productivity" in terms of oil made them lucrative animals to target.

Today, the species is threatened by ship collisions, entanglement in fishing nets, and separation from calving areas because of shipping traffic.

Since this right whale is found in coastal habitats, it is more likely to suffer from impacts of human activity than more open-water cetaceans. With such a small, slow-growing population, any threatening factor may have a significant impact.

Pollution

The effects of contaminants on cetaceans susceptibility to disease and reproductive performance is increasingly a cause for concern. For example, research has shown that North Atlantic right whales are significantly exposed to a potentially toxic, dioxin-like compound.
Find out more about pollution