Photo courtesy of the Center for Coastal Studies
PORTLAND, ME (AP) – The decline of an endangered species of whale slowed last year as it lost about 2% of its population.
But scientists warn the North Atlantic right whale still faces existential threats and is losing breeding females too fast.
A consortium seeking to save the right whale said Monday that the population fell to an estimated 340 last year. That is a decline of eight animals from the previous year, when the population was initially thought to be even fewer.
The whales are vulnerable to ship collisions and entanglement in fishing gear.
By Patrick Whittle, Associated Press
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