Serious Injury and Mortality Determinations for Baleen Whale Stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States East Coast, and Atlantic Canadian Provinces, 2013-2017

Opportunistic reports were used to calculate rates of human-caused serious injury and mortality to baleen whale stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States east coast, and Atlantic Canadian provinces from 2013 through 2017. All available information for reported whale injury and mortality events was evaluated by using criteria to assign injury severity and cause of injury or death for each event. The minimum annual rate of human-caused serious injury and mortality during the period was 6.85 for North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), 12.15 for Gulf of Maine humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), 2.35 for western North Atlantic fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), 8.2 for Canadian East Coast minke whales (B. acutorostrata), 1.0 for Nova Scotian sei whales (B. borealis), and 0 for western North Atlantic blue whales (B. musculus) and northern Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whales (B. edeni). The number of serious injuries and mortalities not reported is unknown, and actual levels may be much higher.