VOA科学技术2023--Right Whale Number Decrease Slowing, But Threats Remain

Right Whale Number Decrease Slowing, But Threats Remain

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world's most endangered large whale species.

Its population loss appears to be slowing. But scientists warn that the large sea animals still face threats from getting caught in fishing equipment, being struck by ships, and warming oceans.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric¹ Administration (NOAA) says that by the early 1890s, commercial whalers almost destroyed the species. They got their name from being the "right" whales to hunt because they floated when they were killed.

Commercial whale fishing is no longer a threat, but its population has never fully² returned. They have been protected under United States law for many years now.

The North Atlantic right whale is about 16 meters long and weighs more than 63,000 kilograms. The whales can probably live for 70 years. However, female North Atlantic right whales are now only living to around 45 years old. Such reduced lifespans are caused by human activities, not old age.

The NOAA estimates that fewer than 350 right whales are remaining off the U.S. East Coast. From 2010 to 2020, their population fell by about 25 percent.

This week, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium (NARWC) said the population decrease appears to have leveled off. A strong birthing year in 2021, when 18 baby whales, or calves³, were born, kept whale population numbers up, the NARWC said.

However, the organization warned that the high number of deaths faced by whales from getting caught in fishing equipment or struck by ships remains⁴ a major problem for the whales.

"The news is less bad than it has been. My heart is a little less heavy, but certainly not light or hopeful," said Philip Hamilton. He is a member of NARWC and a senior scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium⁵. "It shouldn't be dependent on the whales to give birth to enough calves to reverse what we're doing to them."

Scientists say another reason why whale numbers are decreasing is warming oceans and climate change. The whales eat very small ocean organisms called copepods. They travel from calving grounds off the coasts of Florida and Georgia to feeding grounds off New England and Canada every year.

As waters have warmed, the whales must travel outside of protected areas of the ocean in search of food. That has left them open to strikes with large ships and getting trapped in commercial fishing equipment. Those are the biggest causes of early death.

Many fishermen have opposed proposed fishing restrictions⁶ that they fear would hurt their business rather than help whales. Dave Cousens, a past president of the Maine Lobstermen's Association, has called the proposed rules "nonsensical."

But environmental groups want new federal rules to save the species, including one to make ships slow down for whales.

Words in This Story

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

commercial – adj. related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services

lifespan – n. the amount of time that a person or animal actually lives

reverse – v. to change (something) to an opposite state or condition

nonsensical – adj. very foolish or silly

1 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 calves   

n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解

参考例句：

• a cow suckling her calves 给小牛吃奶的母牛
• The calves are grazed intensively during their first season. 小牛在生长的第一季里集中喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 aquarium   

n.水族馆，养鱼池，玻璃缸

参考例句：

• The first time I saw seals was in an aquarium.我第一次看见海豹是在水族馆里。
• I'm going to the aquarium with my parents this Sunday.这个星期天，我要和父母一起到水族馆去。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制