Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T13:47:51.443Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

What Hope for North Atlantic Right Whales?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2009

Randall Reeves
Randall Reeves
Affiliation:
Randall R. Reeves, c/o Arctic Biological Station, 555 St. Pierre Boulevard, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, CanadaH9X 3R4.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In the early 1800s the once abundant North Atlantic right whale was believed to be extinct. But by mid-century the species had been ‘rediscovered’, and hunting was resumed until 1918, when the whales were again in trouble. In 1935 all right whales became fully protected by an international convention, and in the 1950s the North Atlantic population was once again ‘rediscovered’. Today, after nearly 50 years of protection and slow recovery, the author assesses the present status of the North Atlantic population. Surveys showed disappointing results until in 1980 a survey of the lower Bay of Fundy (prompted by the threat of an oil refinery being built there) revealed surprisingly high numbers. Another survey in 1981, in which the author also took part, has shown the Grand Manan Island region to be a summer and autumn assembly site for at least several dozen of these endangered whales, including a number of cows and calves. This may be a key area for the North Atlantic right whale's survival.

Type
Research Article
Information
Oryx , Volume 16 , Issue 3 , February 1982 , pp. 255 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © Fauna and Flora International 1982

References

1.Best, P.B. 1981. Rep. Int. Whal. Commn 31:Google Scholar
2.Mermoz, J.F. 1980. Rep. Int. Whal. Commn 30: 183–186.Google Scholar
3.Payne, R.S., and Dorsey, E.M.. 1979. pp. 46in Abstracts from Presentations at the Third Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Seattle, Wash.Google Scholar
4.Clarke, R. 1965. Norsk Hvalfangst-tidende 1965. 6: 121–8.Google Scholar
5.Gaskin, D.E. 1972. Whales Dolphins and Seals, with special reference to the New Zealand region. Heinemann Ed. Books: London200 pp.Google Scholar
6.Klumov, S.K. 1962. Trudy Inst. Okeanol. 58: 202–97. Russian, English abstract.Google Scholar
7.Omura, H. et al. , 1969. Sci. Rep. Whales Res. Inst. (Tokyo) 21: 1–78 + 18 plates.Google Scholar
8.Berzin, A.A., and Doroshenko, N.V.. 1981. Rep. Int. Whal. Commn 31:Google Scholar
9.Rice, D.W., and Fiscus, C.H.. 1968. Norsk Hvalfangst-tidende 1968. 5: 105–107.Google Scholar
10.Rowntree, V. et al. , 1980. Canadian J. Zool. 58: 309–312.Google Scholar
11.Herman, L.M. et al. , 1980. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 2: 271–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Reeves, R.R. et al. , 1978. Rep. Int. Whal. Commn 28:303–12.Google Scholar
13.Anon, . 1981. Rep. Int. Whal. Commn 31.Google Scholar
14.Markham, C.R. 1881. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1881: 969–76.Google Scholar
15.Barkam, S. 1977. Geog. Mag. 49, 9: 574–81.Google Scholar
16.Eschricht, D.F. and Reinhardt, J.. 1866. pp. 3–150 in Flower, W.H. (ed.), Recent Memoirs on the Cetacea. Ray Society: London.Google Scholar
17.Harmer, S.F. 1928. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. 140: 5195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Collett, R. 1912. Norges Pattedyr. A. Aschehoug & Co.: Kristiania. 744 pp.Google Scholar
19.Gray, R.W. 1937. Naturalist 1937: 153–6.Google Scholar
20.Allen, G.M. 1916. Mem. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 8, 2, 105–322.Google Scholar
21.Edwards, E.J. and Rattray, J.E.. 1932. “Whale off!”: the story of American shore whaling. Fredrick A. Stokes Co.: New York. 285 pp.Google Scholar
22.Collett, R. 1909. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1909: 91, 8 + 3 plates.Google Scholar
23.Thompson, D'A.W. 1918. Scott. Nat. 1918: 197–208.Google Scholar
24.Moore, J.C. 1953. Amer. Mid. Nat. 49: 117–158.Google Scholar
25.Layne, J.N. 1965. Bull. Florida State Mus. (Biol. Sci) 9 4: 131–181.Google Scholar
26.Watkins, W.A., and Schevill, W.E.. In press. Right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) in Cape Cod waters. J. Mammal.Google Scholar
27.Watkins, W.A., and Schevill, W.E.. 1976. J. Mammal. 57: 58–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28.Winn, H.E. 1979. Right whale sightings and the right whale minimum count. Quarterly summary of reports, Numbers 2 and 3 (combined). Submitted 31 July to Bureau of Land Management, CETAP, Univ. of Rhode Island, 62 pp. (unpubl. manuscript).Google Scholar
29.Anon., 1979. CETAP Newsletter. Univ. of Rhode Island. 4 pp.Google Scholar
30.Kraus, S.D., and Prescott, J.H.. 1981. Distribution, abundance and notes on the large cetaceans of the Bay of Fundy summer and fall 1980. Final report to U.S.D.C., NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Woods Hole, Mass. 66 pp. (unpubl. manuscript).Google Scholar
31.Arnold, P.W., and Gaskin, D.E.. 972 J. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada 29: 1477–8.Google Scholar
32.Sergeant, D.E. 1966. Populations of large whale species in the western North Atlantic with special reference to the fin whale. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada, Circular No. 9:1–13 + 9 tables + 9 figures.Google Scholar
33.Anon, ., 1961. International Whaling Statistics XLV. Edited by The Committee for Whaling Statistics, Oslo. 87 pp.Google Scholar
34.Maul, G.E., and Sergeant, D.E.. 1977. New cetacean records from Madeira. Bocagiana 43: 1–8.Google Scholar
35.Caldwell, D.K., and Caldwell, M.C.. 1971. Cetology 4: 1–6.Google Scholar
36.Schmidly, D.J. et al. , 1972. Southwestern Naturalist 17, 2:214–5.Google Scholar