For example, the current population off the west coast of 

 North America is thought to number a few tens of individuals 

 and may be too small to recover. The population off the east 

 coast of the United States and Canada may number no more than 

 a few hundred animals. The largest populations are those in 

 the South Atlantic Ocean off Argentina and South Africa, each 

 of which is believed to include at least 400 to 600 animals. 

 Although the species has been protected from commercial whaling 

 since the 1930s, there is no evidence of substantial population 

 increases in the Northern Hemisphere. The species occurs 

 primarily in coastal waters exposing it to environmental pol- 

 lution and human activities that may adversely affect both 

 the whales and their habitat. 



As noted in its previous Annual Reports, the Marine Mammal 

 Commission has taken a number of steps to assess and improve 

 prospects for the recovery of right whale populations worldwide. 

 Among other things, the Commission: helped support a June 

 1983 workshop convened in response to a request by the Inter- 

 national Whaling Commission to assess the extent to which 

 protection from commercial whaling had resulted in recovery 

 of right whales; funded two workshops in 1985 to develop a 

 report on the status of the right whale population off the 

 east coast of the United States and actions needed to protect 

 and encourage its recovery; helped support a 1986 workshop to 

 assess new information and potential protection needs related 

 to the apparent occurrence of right whale calving areas off 

 the southeastern U.S. coast during winter months; and provided 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service with recommendations 

 and advice for preparing a recovery plan and convening a 

 recovery team for right whales in U.S. waters. 



Congress also has recognized the need for further efforts 

 to protect right whales in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. For 

 Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987, Congress appropriated $500,000 

 and $250,000, respectively, to the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service to support the first two years of a five-year right 

 whale research program proposed by a consortium of non-govern- 

 mental organizations concerned about recovery of the northwest 

 Atlantic population. Due to the Deficit Reduction and Balanced 

 Budget Act of 1985 and other factors, actual funds allocated 

 by the Service for right whale research were somewhat lower 

 than the appropriated amounts. For Fiscal Year 1988, Congress 

 appropriated $250,000 for the third year of the program. 



To help determine the best use of these funds, the Service 

 established a Right Whale Scientific Advisory Group. This 

 Group, which includes a Marine Mammal Commission representative, 

 first met on 15 May 1986 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, to 

 identify and rank priority right whale research needs. Based 

 on results of the meeting, a Cooperative Agreement was estab- 

 lished in October 1986 with the consortium of whale research 



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