April 27, 2018 — The plight of North Atlantic right whales remains at the forefront of priorities for state and federal fisheries regulators, leading them to impose new measures to protect the marine mammals as their seasonal presence grows in the waters off Massachusetts.
Within the past week, pods of the endangered whales have announced their presence with authority in the waters off the Bay State to the delight of whale enthusiasts, marine biologists and the general public.
According to the state Department of Marine Fisheries, the most recent aerial survey last week showed 100 right whales — or about 25 percent of the species’ known population — in western Cape Cod Bay.
Last weekend, a pod of about 30 right whales — whose global population has shrunk to about 450 — was spotted feeding off the coast of Marshfield. Gloucester-based whale watch boats this week also reported the presence of right whales near the northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank.
On Wednesday, the state Division of Marine Fisheries enacted two emergency regulations “to protect vulnerable aggregations of endangered northern right whales in Cape Cod Bay” from collisions with vessels and entanglements in fishing gear.
The measures are effective immediately.
The first emergency regulation extends trap gear closures throughout most of Cape Cod Bay to May 6 from the original ending date of April 30. The closure extension does not apply to waters north of Cape Cod on Stellwagen Bank or within the Outer Cape Cod Lobster Management Area.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Times