<
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/06/19/floridians-should-slow-down-for-the-rarest-whales-on-earth-commentary/>
"In 2021, marine researchers made a remarkable discovery — they identified a
whale species in the Gulf of Mexico that was new to science. This discovery of
the new resident Gulf of Mexico whale, also called the Rice’s whale, must be a
call to action. The whale is one of the rarest and most critically endangered
animals on Earth, with only about 51 remaining. What can we do to protect these
remarkable creatures?
The first step is to slow down our boats in the areas where people have most
frequently spotted the whales. In October 2022, 100 scientists warned in a
letter to the Biden administration that, unless protections are increased for
the Gulf of Mexico whale, we could see the first human-caused extinction of a
whale species in history. There are multiple instances documented of these
whales being struck by vessels and either injured or killed, and vessel strikes
are one of the most common causes of mortality for whale species worldwide. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is now accepting
comments from the public about a proposed slow-speed zone to protect gulf
whales."
Via Lisa Stranger and Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
