Updated Right Whale Recovery Plan is Available for Public Comment NOAA Fisheries has recently updated a 1991 Recovery Plan for the North Atlantic Right Whale. Historically depleted by commercial whaling, the North Atlantic right whale population is considered highly endangered, with present numbers of approximately 300 individuals. The population is impacted both directly and indirectly by human activities primarily in the form of vessel collisions and entanglement in fishing gear. These impacts have contributed to a lack of recovery for the species. The Plan includes the following prioritized objectives to promote recovery of the North Atlantic right whale: Members of the public are invited to review this draft plan and provide comments. For a copy, please go to
(1) Minimize sources of human-caused death, injury, and disturbance;
(2) develop demographically-based recovery criteria;
(3) identify, characterize, protect, and monitor important habitats;
(4) monitor the status and trends of abundance and distribution of the western North Atlantic right whale population;
(5) and coordinate Federal, state, international, and private efforts to implement the Recovery Plan.
Written comments should be sent to:
Chief, Marine Mammal Conservation Division
Attn: North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Plan
Office of Protected Resources
National Marine Fisheries Service
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Comments may also be sent via e-mail to the following address:
Na***********@no**.gov
. To view a copy of the press release, visit our Media Center.
Updated Right Whale Recovery Plan is Available for Public Comment
NOAA Fisheries has recently updated a 1991 Recovery Plan for the North Atlantic Right Whale. Historically depleted by commercial whaling, the North Atlantic right whale population is considered highly endangered, with present numbers of approximately 300 individuals. The population is impacted both directly and indirectly by human activities primarily in the form of vessel collisions and entanglement in fishing gear. These impacts have contributed to a lack of recovery for the species.
The Plan includes the following prioritized objectives to promote recovery of the North Atlantic right whale:
(1) Minimize sources of human-caused death, injury, and disturbance;
(2) develop demographically-based recovery criteria;
(3) identify, characterize, protect, and monitor important habitats;
(4) monitor the status and trends of abundance and distribution of the western North Atlantic right whale population;
(5) and coordinate Federal, state, international, and private efforts to implement the Recovery Plan.
Members of the public are invited to review this draft plan and provide comments. For a copy, please go to
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/PR3/recovery.html. Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., EST, on November 1, 2004.Written comments should be sent to:
Chief, Marine Mammal Conservation Division
Attn: North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Plan
Office of Protected Resources
National Marine Fisheries Service
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Comments may also be sent via e-mail to the following address:
Na***********@no**.gov
. To view a copy of the press release, visit our Media Center.