Historical distribution of right whales in the North Pacific

This study develops preliminary estimates of total whaling-induced mortality of northern right whales in the 19th century North Pacificpelagic whale fishery. Best’s (1987) study of American whaling returns resulted in estimates of the total American catch of 14,480 and15,374 northern right whales during the period 1839-1909. The present study offers adjustment factors to estimate total mortality from thesecatch data. Quantitative data from 14 pelagic expeditions for northern right whales in the North Pacific from 1838-1860 and additionalanecdotal information about struck-but-lost animals is reviewed. On 12 voyages, 327 northern right whales were struck with harpoons, butonly 133 landed. Adjusted for the subsequent recovery of struck whales, this implies a ratio of 2.43 whales struck for each whale eventuallysecured and flensed by whaleships. Data from four voyages show that of 148 northern right whales struck with harpoons, 14 sank beforethey could be processed. From a sample of five voyages, 80 northern right whales were landed and 31 carcasses sank without being secured.During the height of pelagic whaling in the North Pacific, approximately 10% of the fleet was non-American, primarily French. Adjustingrecorded catch estimates for struck-but-lost mortality and non-American whaling yields preliminary estimates of total mortality in thisfishery in the range of 26,500-37,000 animals during the period 1839-1909. In the single decade of 1840-49, between 21,000-30,000northern right whales may have been killed in the North Pacific, Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea, representing about 80% of the northernright whales killed in this region during the period 1839-1909.

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Rare sighting of a right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) in Hawaii

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z80-038 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 309-312 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

V. Rowntree ◽

J. Darling ◽

G. Silber ◽

M. Ferrari

Keyword(s):

North Pacific ◽

Individual Recognition ◽

Eubalaena Glacialis ◽

Right Whale ◽

The North ◽

Pacific Population ◽

Right Whales ◽

The North Pacific

The presence of a right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) in the Hawaiian waters on March 25, 1979 was documented by photographs which allow individual recognition. The sighting is significant because right whales have not been reported in these waters since 1851 and because the North Pacific population has been estimated to number only 100–200 individuals even though the killing of right whales has been banned since 1937.

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Conservation status of North Pacific right whales

J. Cetacean Res. Manage. ◽

10.47536/jcrm.vi.281 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 269-286

Author(s):

Robert L. Brownell ◽

Phillip J. Clapham ◽

Tomio Miyashita ◽

Toshio Kasuya

Keyword(s):

North Pacific ◽

Western North Pacific ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Okhotsk Sea ◽

Right Whale ◽

The North ◽

Pacific Population ◽

Right Whales ◽

The Impact ◽

The North Pacific

The North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) is among the most endangered of all great whales, having been subject to intensivecommercial whaling in the 19th century. All available 20th century records of this species in the North Pacific were reviewed. There hasbeen a total of 1,965 recorded sightings since 1900; of these, 988 came from the western North Pacific, 693 from the eastern North Pacificand 284 had no location specified. Thirteen strandings (all but one from the western North Pacific) were recorded. Known catches forcommercial or scientific purposes totalled 742 (331 in the western North Pacific, 411 in the eastern North Pacific). Most of the reportedSoviet ‘sightings’ in the eastern North Pacific were actually catches, as may be the case for Soviet sightings in the Okhotsk Sea. In addition,the impact of known Soviet illegal catches in the Okhotsk Sea may be reflected in an apparent decline in sightings after the 1960s (althoughthis may be partly explained by low observer effort). Overall, the data support the hypothesis that at least two stocks of right whales existin the North Pacific. Any recovery in the western North Pacific population was compromised by the Soviet catches in the Okhotsk region,although recent sightings suggest that this population is still large enough to sustain reproduction. By contrast, Soviet catches in thenow-smaller eastern North Pacific population have severely reduced its prospects for recovery. Although the prognosis for this populationis poor, a long-term monitoring programme is required to better understand its conservation status and to determine whether it may beaffected by human-related problems that would require mitigation.

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Acoustic detection and satellite-tracking leads to discovery of rare concentration of endangered North Pacific right whales

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2006.0460 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 417-419 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Paul Wade ◽

Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽

Kim Shelden ◽

Jay Barlow ◽

James Carretta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bering Sea ◽

North Pacific ◽

Right Whale ◽

The North ◽

Right Whales ◽

Time Position ◽

Eubalaena Japonica ◽

Bering Sea Shelf ◽

The North Pacific ◽

The Bering Sea

The North Pacific right whale, Eubalaena japonica , is one of the most endangered species of whale in the world. On 10 August 2004, two right whales were located in the Bering Sea using headings to right whale calls provided by directional sonobuoys. A satellite-monitored radio tag attached to one of these whales functioned for 40 days. Over the 40-day period, this whale moved throughout a large part of the southeast Bering Sea shelf, including areas of the outer-shelf where right whales have not been seen in decades. In September, multiple right whales were acoustically located and subsequently sighted by another survey vessel approaching a near-real-time position from the tag. An analysis of photographs confirmed at least 17 individual whales (not including the tagged whales). Genetic analysis of biopsy samples identified 17 individuals: 10 males and 7 females. The discovery of seven females was significant, as only one female had been identified in the past. Genetics also confirmed the presence of at least two calves. Although the future of this population is highly uncertain, the discovery of additional females and calves gives some hope that this most critically endangered of all whale populations may still possess the capacity to recover.

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