Posts by Regina Asmutis-silvia
What would you say to the remaining few North Atlantic right whales?
North Atlantic right whales are on the brink of extinction. Fewer than 450 are left. They never recovered from the intensive hunting of the past and their situation is dire. But it’s only too late to save them when we stop trying. Executive director of WDC North America, Regina Asmutis-Silvia has spent her working (and…
Read MoreThe clock to extinction is ticking for North Atlantic right whales
The discovery of yet another dead North Atlantic right whale was made in Massachusetts on October 23, 2017 marking the 16th known death for the critically endangered species since April of this year and the loss of more than 3% of the entire species in a six month period. This most recent death came only…
Read MoreUS recommendations to save endangered North Atlantic right whales are grossly inadequate
Two and a half weeks after WDC and its conservation partners issued a Notice of Intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for failing to adequately protect right whales, NMFS released a revised species review report with proposed recommended actions to prevent the extinction of North Atlantic right whales. WDC and its partners are currently…
Read MoreWill Trump and Trudeau oversee the extinction of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales?
UPDATE: The tragedy continues into 2018. An 18th DEAD RIGHT WHALE WAS REPORTED ON JANUARY 25TH, 2018 IN VIRGINIA. A 17th dead right whale was discovered on Nantucket Island on November 28, 2017 more than a month after the carcass of a 16th right whale was reported on Cape Cod, MA on October 23, 2017…
Read MoreTrump Administration set to allow seismic blasting along US East Coast- coastal communities and marine mammals will be harmed
Just six months after the US Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management (BOEM) denied six pending permit applications for seismic testing along the US east coast, the Trump Administration has issued five draft permits for seismic testing in these same waters. As seismic surveys are used to search for deposits of fossil fuels, the long…
Read MoreSouthwest Airline’s “Transfarency” ad, not so fare to dolphins
As part of Southwest Airlines “Transfarency” campaign, a recent advertisement highlights a number of tropical get away spots the airline flies to. When a customer asks about potential travel destinations, Southwest responds with the Jax Jones song refrain of “yeah yeah yeah.” Unfortunately, when the customer asks if he can “swim with dolphins” when traveling,…
Read MoreTragic news as critically endangered Southern Resident orcas lose two more members
Today, the Center for Whale Research (CWR) held a press conference in Seattle to discuss the disappearance of two more Southern Resident orcas – Polaris (J28, born in 1993) and her newest calf, Dipper (J54), one of the “baby boom” calves born in 2015. Polaris was a matriarch in J pod and also a mother…
Read MoreAre North Atlantic right whales headed towards extinction?
Enter your email address: Powered by Feedio A recently released article in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science ‘casts doubt’ on the future existence of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, a species of which fewer than 500 individuals remain. According to right whale researchers, the calving rate for this beleaguered species has declined by 40% since 2010. Why are fewer calves being born? It appears to…
Read MoreBuyer Beware – WDC asks you to make sure your shopping is really supporting your cause
Cause-related marketing can be a win/win situation for both commercial retailers and charitable organizations when a reputable for-profit business agrees to give a percentage of its sales to a registered charity. For example, WDC recently partnered with West Marine, a boating supply and fishing retailer, and 10% of your purchase from West Marine can benefit WDC’s efforts…
Read MoreRIP: The tragic loss of a newborn endangered North Atlantic right whale
On May 5, 2016 hundreds of researchers, managers, conservationists, and educators mourned the loss of a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale as word spread that Punctuation’s newborn, less than six months old, was found dead off a Cape Cod beach. The 9th child of an adult female named Punctuation had already been somewhat of…
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