North Atlantic Right Whale

Two groups of experts on Cape Cod are trying a technique that has never been used on a whale calf before — sedation.

Experts often say the lobster fishery will have to move to innovative “ropeless” fishing gear to protect North Atlantic right whales from entanglement. Fewer than 340 of the critically endangered whales are left. But a new report says Massachusetts lobstermen may be headed for troubled economic waters if they make the switch.

North Atlantic right whales are one of the most studied marine mammals on the planet. But scientists don’t know how the critically endangered whales find their food. CAI’s climate and environment reporter Eve Zuckoff recently spent a day on a research vessel in Cape Cod Bay with experts trying to solve that mystery.

Before leaving office, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker passed a bill recognizing April 24th as a day to promote preservation of the critically endangered species.

The Massachusetts fishery is in a moment of change. Lobstermen today are facing warming waters that are affecting lobster populations, offshore wind developers encroaching on fishing grounds, and strict fishing regulations imposed to protect critically endangered right whales.

The first sighting of the season has been recorded of a mother and calf right whale in Cape Cod Bay. It's something whale experts wait for as a sign the species might yet survive.

For almost a full day, the Army Corps of Engineers declared no boats could pass through the canal until the whales had cleared the area, causing a backup of boats waiting for passage.

Four Massachusetts lobstermen have filed a class action suit against the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Marine Stewardship Council, groups that urged distributors and grocery stores to avoid purchasing lobster because of the fishery's impact on North Atlantic right whales.

“Song of the Whale,” which is operated by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), is traveling from Florida to Canada following the critically endangered species on their migration route. According to IFAW, no other research boat has ever attempted such a long trip to study these whales.

A critically endangered right whale found dead off the coast of Virginia likely died after being hit by a boat, officials say. Its death has become a call to action for environmental groups, who say “blood is on the hands” of federal regulators.