The population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales isn害羞草研究所檛 declining as fast as it was five years ago, but researchers say the latest numbers show the species is still having a tough time surviving and reproducing.

The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium issued a statement Monday saying its latest population estimate stood at 340 animals as of last year 害羞草研究所� a drop from 348 recorded in 2020.

害羞草研究所淲hile it is certainly good to see the slope of the trajectory slow, the unfortunate reality is that the species continues to trend downward,害羞草研究所� Heather Pettis, research scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston, said in the statement.

The consortium, which includes dozens of conservation, government and industry organizations, says only 15 calves were born in 2022, far below the average of 24 reported in the early 2000s. Eighteen were born in 2021.

As well, the Boston-based consortium determined there were no first-time mothers this season, which supports earlier research showing a downward trend in the number of female whales capable of breeding.

Oceana, a Washington-based conservation group, said the latest numbers 害羞草研究所渃onfirm the dire situation facing North Atlantic right whales.害羞草研究所� The group called on Canadian and U.S. officials to take immediate action to protect the species from extinction.

害羞草研究所淲e need to keep all of the measures in place that we already have, and continue to work to find ways to refine and strengthen measures to protect right whales,害羞草研究所� said Kim Elmslie, Oceana害羞草研究所檚 campaign director in Canada.

Meanwhile, recent research has found evidence that the remaining right whales are getting smaller, partly because of frequent entanglements in fishing gear, with smaller female right whales producing fewer calves.

This year, five whales were spotted with fishing gear attached to them, and at least five others are known to have been previously entangled, showing injuries significant enough to cause wounds. There was also one detected vessel strike in 2022.

In 2017, the Canadian government introduced a series of measures to protect the whales after 12 of them died in Canadian waters 害羞草研究所� mostly from collisions with boats or injuries caused by fishing gear.

Those ongoing measures included increased aerial surveillance, restrictions on shipping lanes, slower speed limits for vessels, temporary fishing ground closures and real-time monitoring using underwater listening devices.

Elmslie said these measures have helped reduce the number of collisions with ships and entanglements, but she said more needs to be done.

害羞草研究所淩ight now we害羞草研究所檙e using interim orders and ministerial discretion, which are meant to be a temporary solution,害羞草研究所� she said in an interview. 害羞草研究所淚t has worked and we have a solid foundation. Now we need to make it more permanent, with permanent funding to keep this program in place.害羞草研究所�

Between 2017 and 2022, ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements were the leading cause of death and serious injury for right whales.

During that time, 11 whales in Canadian or U.S. waters were killed by ship strikes, and nine died after being entangled in gear. Another 14 whales died from unknown causes, according to the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Boris Worm, an expert in marine conservation at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said the low birthrate numbers are very troubling.

害羞草研究所淭he reason is that the food quality is poor,害羞草研究所� Worm said in an interview Monday. 害羞草研究所淭he mothers just don害羞草研究所檛 have babies, or not as often because their bodies can害羞草研究所檛 take that 害羞草研究所�. They don害羞草研究所檛 get pregnant.害羞草研究所�

Worm said that wasn害羞草研究所檛 the case in the early 2000s when the population was increasing rapidly. But he said the whales changed their summer migration patterns as climate change affected their food supply, and now they venture farther north into Canada害羞草研究所檚 busiest shipping lanes.

害羞草研究所淭hey keep being killed and are not replacing themselves quickly enough,害羞草研究所� he said.

Though the overall rate of population decline has recently decreased, the number of right whales is now roughly the same as it was in 2001.

Philip Hamilton, senior scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston, said the population increased by 150 animals between 2001 and 2011, but it levelled off and then a steep decline started in 2017.

害羞草研究所淭hat tells us this species can recover if we stop injuring and killing them.害羞草研究所� Hamilton said in a statement.

So far this year, there have been no detected right whale deaths, but scientists remain worried about the species 害羞草研究所� the most endangered large whales in the world.

害羞草研究所淲hile we can be cautiously optimistic about this, we know that only one third of right whale deaths are observed, so it is likely that some whales have died this year that were not observed,害羞草研究所� Scott Kraus, the consortium害羞草研究所檚 chairman, said in a statement.

It害羞草研究所檚 believed the right whale population peaked at about 21,000 before aggressive hunting drastically reduced their numbers. By the 1920s, fewer than 100 remained because of aggressive hunting. After a ban on right whale hunting was imposed in 1935, the population grew to 483 by 2010.