Species at Risk
Blue Whale (Atlantic population)
What is the status of the Blue Whale?
Populations of blue whales are relatively well
distributed in the oceans, but the St. Lawrence is one of the rare areas
in the world where they can be seen close to land.
© Parks Canada / J. Audet
For several years now, the blue whale has been considered endangered
by COSEWIC.
A species or population is designated as endangered by COSEWIC if it is experiencing
significant risks. The Atlantic blue whale is protected under the Government
of Canada’s Species
at Risk Act (SARA). It is also protected under the Marine Mammals Regulations, which fall under the Fisheries Act.
Why is the Blue Whale in danger?
Some 200,000 blue whales once populated the world’s oceans. It is not
known how many Blue whales are in the Atlantic population but between 20 and
105 are spotted annually in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Commercial hunting was
the main reason for the decline of this species. Because of their large size,
Blue Whales were highly desired by whalers as large quantities of oil and
meat can be extracted from a dead whale. Even though commercial whaling ended
in 1955 in the North Atlantic, there are still threats to the small populations
of the Blue Whale left today. Current threats include disturbance by ships,
collisions with ships, entrapment in fishing gear, pollution and environmental
changes. Additionally, climate change is expected to have a significant impact
on the Blue Whale’s food source in the near future, which will pose
a new threat for the species.