MEDIA RELEASE
City of Fernandina Beach
October 19, 2018 3:00 p.m.
On November 2, 2018, at 2:00 pm, Mayor John A. Miller will recognize the month of November as, “Right Whale Month” by order of Proclamation. The ceremony will take place in front of City Hall at 204 Ash Street, Fernandina Beach, and will be attended by members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The North Atlantic right whale is a federally-protected endangeredspecies under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. As few as 450 right whales exist today. The greatest threats to right whales are collisions from vessels, entanglement in trap/pot and gillnet fishing gear. Right whales are slow-moving and difficult to see even close to the surface because their profile features a broad, flat back and no dorsal fin.
Proclaiming the month in Fernandina Beach is fitting, as this will be the location of the 11thAnnual Right Whale Festival in November of 2019. The Right Whale Festival celebrates the annual return of endangered North Atlantic right whales to the warm coastal water off northeast Florida and Georgia, where they give birth to and nurse their young. This family-fun event raises awareness of the threats to right whales and how to aid in their recovery. The festival highlights local efforts to protect these whales from extinction as well as ocean-themed activities and exhibits that emphasize education and environmentally responsible adventures and products.
The City of Fernandina Beach looks forward to supporting efforts to protect these majestic animals while they’re in Florida during their calving season (each November through April).
My understanding is that no calves were born this last calving season. That is scary, as we are losing adults every year. We’ve seen some of their bodies in our area in the last year.
They need more protection. Not an easy thing to provide, let alone implement.