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The Commission, in consultation with its Committee of 

 Scientific Advisors, will review and, as appropriate, comment 

 on the Draft Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact 

 Statement. 



Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) 



The right whale is one of the most endangered of all 

 the large whales. As a result of intensive commercial 

 exploitation in the 19th and early 20th centuries, only 

 small, remnant populations now remain. The extant 

 population along the northeast coast of the United States, 

 for example, has been estimated to number in the low 

 hundreds, perhaps fewer than 200 animals. While the 

 taking of right whales has been prohibited for nearly 

 50 years, the species* preference for coastal habitats 

 exposes it to a number of human activities which pose new 

 threats to the whales and their habitats. 



Recognizing this, the Commission in 1979 contracted 

 with the New England Aquarium to convene a workshop on east 

 coast cetaceans and pinnipeds. Among other things, the 

 workshop identified critical research needs relative to 

 right whales and other species and these subsequently were 

 factored into a general program plan developed by the 

 Commission, in consultation with the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service and others. Funds to implement the 

 general program plan have been provided by several Federal 

 agencies, including the Commission, the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service, and the Minerals Management Service, and 

 private environmental groups. 



In June 1983, the Marine Mammal Commission, the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service, the International 

 Whaling Commission, and the World Wildlife Fund jointly 

 sponsored an international workshop to consider available 

 information relating to the present status of right whale 

 populations. The workshop participants concluded that 

 remaining stocks could be classified into three groups : 

 those with population sizes ranging from at least 300 to 

 500 animals (South Africa and Argentina) ; those with 

 populations of about 100 to 200 animals (Northwest Atlantic, 

 Northwest Pacific, Southwest Australia, and Southeast 

 Australia/New Zealand) ; and those with smaller numbers 

 believed to be near extinction (Northeast Atlantic and 

 Northeast Pacific) . Noting that even a small kill could 

 adversely affect the recovery of even the largest remaining 

 populations, the participants recommended that no killing 



