I coined a phrase several decades ago: If we don’t take care of our planet, it will die and so will we! I’m referring to our environment which includes our oceans, atmosphere, forests, wildlife, food supply, land, and the human race! In 2022, the World Wildlife Foundation reported an unsettling statistic about a 69% drop in global wildlife populations in the last 50 years! Much of the decline is due to disappearing forests, poaching, hunting, and declining food supplies for the wildlife!
Right Whale
Recently on PBS-TVs program on Nova, they stated the decline of the large Right Whales (measured at 45 to 55 feet length for adults) with less births in the northern Atlantic Ocean! Their decline is due to fishing nets and rope entrapments and ship or boat propellers and their declining food supply, which is mostly plankton. Either issue is responsible for major injuries that eventually result in the whale’s death. Many whales have been tagged with GPS tracking devices that let the biologists know where the whales have migrated or even if the whale has died. Many biologists have saved many Right Whales from the net or rope entrapments, which isn’t easy as the whales are fighting to survive the entrapments, making it hard for the biologists to be close enough to cut the fishing net or ropes.
The Canadian Government has mandated the use of breakaway nets and ropes to hopefully allow the Right Whales to free themselves without the help of the biologists. The government also has recommended all fishing ships and boats stay a safe distance from the Right Whales to prevent propeller injuries. The biologists have discovered the Right Whale population has migrated further north from the northeastern U.S coasts to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where the plankton are now located.
Regardless, it may take more than technology to save the Right Whales. Bob Larson is a technologist and our Marketing Director for 50 Plus.