Concerns mount as death toll appears to be on rise for minke whales in Maritimes
HALIFAX — An animal protection group says the death toll appears to be rising for a small whale species off the East Coast, raising concerns that the animals are falling victim to the same threats facing endangered North Atlantic right whales.
Tonya Wimmer of the Marine Animal Response Society said Monday that since early February about 14 minke whales have been found dead at sea or on beaches in the Maritimes, largely around northern New Brunswick. Others were found in the Bay of Fundy, off Cape Breton and off the eastern tip of P.E.I.
That’s up from the average rate of about 10 deaths a year for minkes, which are not considered at risk or threatened.
“With a species that is quite common, the thought is that they can sustain more deaths, but I think when we start to see numbers that appear to be a little bit higher than normal and clumped in a particular area, it does start to raise bit of a concern,” she said.