What Is Being Done to Protect the Blue Whale From Extinction?
The blue whale is being protected from extinction through several conservation methods, such as being listed and protected under the Species at Risk Act and the Endangered Species Act. These laws protect blue whales under international law and make it illegal to kill them.
Not only are whales protected under the Species at Risk Act and the Endangered Species Act, they are also protected by entities such as the International Whaling Commission, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Meanwhile, several not-for-profit organizations help to bring awareness to the plight of the blue whale, as well as fund conservation efforts. Among these charities are the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Save the Whales organization. These organizations are trying to get lawmakers to crack down on illegal whaling and replace it with ecotourism. Furthermore, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, a recovery strategy for large whales is being implemented.
According to the Save the Whales organization, only 1,200 to 1,700 blue whales remain in the North Pacific and only 9,000 remain in the southern hemisphere. This is a fraction of the number that lived only a few hundred years ago. Both illegal whaling and environmental changes negatively affect these mammals.
