Saving North Atlantic Right Whales

Blue Planet Strategies is working with clients and partners to support development of policies and regulations to help save the North Atlantic right whale from extinction. Entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes are the two leading causes of right whale deaths. Since 2017 at least 30 right whales have died with all known causes of death attributable to entanglement or ship strike. Today, less than 400 right whales are left on earth, and less than 100 of these are reproductively viable females. We are currently working with several eNGO partners providing policy and legal analysis, strategic advice, and outreach to fishermen, the shipping industry, the public and regulators to save the North Atlantic Right Whales in U.S. and Canadian waters.

Nearly all right whale deaths resulting from entanglements and ship strikes can be eliminated by reducing the co-occurrence of the vertical fishing lines that entangle whales, and changes to shipping practices that will to avoid collisions. To successfully implement the changes that are needed, however, we need a strategic public policy campaign with communications based in sound science to find common ground and strategies that are based on science and to save right whales.