North Atlantic Right Whale

Reducing Vessel Strikes

The most common vessel-related threats to right whales are blunt force trauma and propeller cuts. Collisions between whales and large vessels often go unnoticed and unreported, even though whales can be injured or killed and vessels can sustain damage.

Reducing vessel speeds where whales are present, developing recommended shipping lanes outside of specific ports, making mariners aware when whales are around, and implementing a 500-yard “no-approach” safety zone around right whales are among the measures we use to reduce these threats.

Specifically, we have taken both regulatory and non-regulatory steps to reduce the threat of vessel collisions to North Atlantic right whales, including:

• Requiring vessels to slow down in specific areas during specific times (Seasonal Management Areas)
• Advocating for voluntary speed reductions in Dynamic Management Areas and Right Whale Slow Zones
• Recommending alternative shipping routes and areas to be avoided
• Modifying international shipping lanes
• Developing right whale alert systems
• Developing mandatory vessel reporting systems
• Increasing outreach and education
• Improving our stranding response

Implementing Vessel Speed Restrictions for North Atlantic Right Whales

The most effective way to reduce collision risk is to keep whales and vessels apart. If that is not possible, the next best option is for vessels to slow down and keep a lookout. There are several areas, known as Seasonal Management Areas, along the U.S. East Coast where most vessels 65 feet or longer must slow to 10 knots or less during times of the year when right whales are likely to be in the area. The idea behind the 10-knot limit is that the more slowly a vessel goes, the more time the whale has to get out of the way, and a strike at that speed is less likely to be fatal. We have fined companies for violating these speed reductions.

Outside of these areas, if three or more right whales are sighted within close proximity to each other, we implement a short-term voluntary speed reduction area around those whales, called a Dynamic Management Area, and do our best to get the word out to all vessels to reduce their speed in these areas.

In the Northeast, we also implement analogous Right Whale Slow Zones when right whales are detected by acoustic receivers. Unfortunately, studies have found that these voluntary measures are not sufficiently effective in modifying vessel speed or direction of travel, and therefore likely do little to reduce vessel collisions.

Implementing a Mandatory Vessel Reporting System for North Atlantic Right Whales

To further reduce the number of vessel strikes, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Coast Guard developed and implemented a mandatory vessel reporting system for North Atlantic right whales. When large vessels enter one of two key right whale habitats—one off the U.S. northeast coast and one off the U.S. southeast coast—they must report to a shore-based station. In return, the vessel receives a message about right whales, their vulnerability to vessel strikes, precautionary measures to avoid hitting a whale, and locations of recent sightings.

Implementing Right Whale Sighting and Notice Systems

To reduce vessel collisions with right whales, mariners are urged to use caution and proceed at safe speeds in areas where right whales occur. NOAA Fisheries and our partners developed an interactive mapping application that provides real-time information on North Atlantic right whale sightings along the East Coast of the United States.

Reducing Entanglement in Fishing Gear

Entanglement in fishing gear is a primary cause of serious injury and mortality for many whale species, including the North Atlantic right whale. With the help of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team—a group of advisors consisting of fishermen, scientists, and state and federal officials—we have developed management measures to reduce whale entanglements. We require commercial fishermen to use certain gear modifications that are less harmful to North Atlantic right whales, and have established areas where fishing cannot take place during certain times when North Atlantic right whales are present. Specifically, we have taken both regulatory and non-regulatory steps to reduce the threat of entanglement to North Atlantic right whales, including:

• Implementing seasonal closures to fixed gear commercial fisheries in a number of areas of predictable aggregations of right whales
• Requiring weak links in fixed gear fisheries fishing to increase the likelihood that right whales can break free of buoy lines and gillnet panels
• Requiring sinking line (versus floating) between trap/pots on the bottom of the ocean
• Mandating gear marking to improve our understanding of where and how right whales become entangled
• Increasing outreach and education
• Improving our stranding response

We are currently developing management measures to reduce the number and strength of buoy lines in the water column in an effort to further reduce the risk of entanglement in fishing gear.

In addition, we are actively working with fishermen to test ropeless fishing gear systems which we anticipate will provide future options to prevent large whale entanglement.

In addition, when entangled whales are reported anywhere along the U.S. East Coast, the NOAA-funded Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network is called upon to try to help. The network is made up of emergency responders from 20 public and private organizations who have extensive training in how to disentangle large whales and increase their odds of surviving. The Network has successfully disentangled close to 30 North Atlantic right whales over the years. Examining gear removed from entangled animals is one of the key ways for us to determine whether regulations are working and fishing gear modifications are effective.

Learn more about the Take Reduction Team's efforts to reduce whale entanglements

Addressing Ocean Noise

Underwater noise threatens marine animal populations, interrupting their normal behavior and driving them away from areas important to their survival. NOAA Fisheries is investigating all aspects of acoustic communication and hearing in marine animals, including the effects of sound on whale behavior and hearing. In 2016, we issued technical guidance for assessing the effects of anthropogenic sound on marine mammals’ hearing.

Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events

There is an ongoing Unusual Mortality Event for North Atlantic Right Whale. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, an unusual mortality event is defined as "a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response." Scientists carefully study unusual mortality events, to determine the cause of these events and better understand the health of marine mammal populations.

Overseeing Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response

We work with volunteer networks in all coastal states to respond to marine mammal strandings. When stranded animals are found alive, NOAA Fisheries and our partners assess the animal’s health. When stranded animals are found dead, our scientists work to understand and investigate the cause of death. Although the cause often remains unknown, scientists can sometimes identify strandings due to disease, harmful algal blooms, vessel strikes, fishing gear entanglements, pollution exposure, and underwater noise. Some strandings can serve as indicators of ocean health, giving insight into larger environmental issues that may also have implications for human health and welfare.

International Collaboration

NOAA Fisheries is actively collaborating with Canada through ongoing bilateral negotiations on the science and management gaps that are impeding the recovery of North Atlantic right whales in both Canadian and U.S. waters.

Read our June 2021 Leadership Message