What is causing the deaths of endangered whales?

9/2/2017

www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20120815_rightwhale.html

US, Canada to investigate deaths of endangered whales
By PATRICK WHITTLE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
PORTLAND, Maine — Aug 25, 2017, 3:22 PM ET
ABC News

Marine authorities in the U.S. and Canada said Friday they will marshal resources to try to find out what's behind a string of deaths of endangered North Atlantic right whales.

The animals are among the rarest marine mammals in the world, with only about 500 still living. The countries will collaborate on a report that could help craft future regulations that protect the vulnerable whales, representatives said.

Representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Fisheries and Oceans Canada both said ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear have played roles in the deaths of the whales, and that other factors also could have played a role.

The goal of the countries is to find out more about why 13 of the whales have been found dead this year and respond with solutions, said David Gouveia, protected species monitoring program branch chief for NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region.

Continue Reading at ABC News

Northern Right Whales are no stranger to New York Harbor. Gotham Whale has reported seeing several right whales over the years. This species has the reputation of being an "urban" whale as it often likes to feed and migrate near a coastline along the east coast of North America.

1 Comment

Rose Writes link

9/2/2017 07:21:44 pm

"Chow said the government is upholding its pause on disentanglements, which went into effect after the death of New Brunswick whale rescuer Joe Howlett in July." Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/right-whale-entangled-gaspe-peninsula-1.4267108

It's been OVER a month. I can understand a week but these whales are generally docile (not vicious, like a bear). We don't stop rescuing people when firemen or helicopter pilots die in the line of duty.

But, the U.S. gov't is heavily invested in Wolbachia-infected mosquito releases (which I believe to be the root cause) so this doesn't surprise me.

Dominic LeBlanc "deeply shared my concerns" [I wrote to him Dec. 2016] but he passed my concerns along to Jane Philpott (who never responded to me).

I highly suspect two things are killing these precious mammals:

1) Zika, West Nile, or St. Louis encephalitis (whales have been documented to suffer the latter two). All three viruses share the same phylogenetic clade; Zika with > 97 percent support.

2) About 1/3 of Calanus finmarchicus (Cal fin) has been unnaturally infected via Wolbachia-infected Aedes for ~ 5 years. North Atlantic right whales consume massive quantities of Cal fin as you know. And krill also comprises Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus (both are also Zika vectors).

My reference-based article (with 14 citations): http://www.infobarrel.com/Test_North_Atlantic_Right_Whales_for_WNV_SLEV_ZIKA_and_Wolbachia

And, those truly responsible may be those funding Wolbachia-infected Aedes releases: Bill & Melinda Gates; Wellcome Trust; Australian, Queensland, UK & Brazilian gov'ts; USAID, Tahija and Gillespie Family Foundations. Some pretty deep pockets.

My latest PSAs explain: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOKbnPTbEbX038VHgLwhEoHPt156X1R_f

What is causing the deaths of endangered whales?

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