Blue whale endangered specie

Some 200 000 blue whales once swam the oceans of the world. Its enormous size was its downfall; the blue whale was sought out by whalers for the tremendous quantities of oil and meat that it provided. The blue whales of the Northwest Atlantic appear to be having difficulty recovering from the intensive hunting of the first half of the XX Century. Even though it is no longer hunted, other threats still weigh heavily against the recovery of this species. Less than 250 mature blue whales remain in the Northwest Atlantic. In 2002, considering the reduced numbers of blue whales in the Northwest Atlantic and low calving and recruitment rates, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) granted this population the highest status level: that of “endangered”. The blue whale is also on the United States’ endangered species list by virtue of its own Endangered Species Act.

An estimated 4,900 to 6,000 blue whales inhabited the northern Pacific Ocean prior to whaling. Between 1910 and 1966, approximately 8,200 were killed in the North Pacific, severely reducing the population. The North Pacific population is now estimated at 1,200 to 1,700 animals; the worldwide population is estimated at 8,000 to 12,000.

Scientists do not know whether the number of blue whales is increasing or decreasing, but whale sightings have increased since the end of whaling. No human activities in the North Pacific, other than whaling, are known to have affected the species. Therefore, other management actions are unlikely to contribute substantially to recovery.