Pandemic Rules Make Saving Right Whales Tougher, Researchers Say

A multiyear, cross-border collaboration to stop the decline of North Atlantic right whales faces challenges this summer because of rules enacted to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Strained resources have forced Canada’s federal government to cut back some monitoring flights over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while bans on large gatherings and closed international and provincial borders will interrupt valuable research into what’s killing the species and hinder whale rescue missions, say conservationists.

“If there are no deaths detected, is that because they’re weren’t enough people looking?” said Philip Hamilton, research scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for ...