
COURTESY OF NOAA FISHERIES
Endangered North Atlantic right whales
PORTLAND, ME (AP) — Federal officials say the fading North Atlantic right whale will remain protected under the Endangered Species Act and requires a series of protective steps to stave off extinction.
The whales number only about 340 and they have declined in population in recent years.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a review of the whale’s status on Tuesday that said the whale is continuing to decline and has not met many of the recovery criteria outlined in its recovery plan.
Protection of the whale is a source of dispute between conservationists and commercial fishermen because one of the top threats to the animals is entanglement in fishing gear.
BY PATRICK WHITTLE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS