The people of Tilbury in Essex received a shock this afternoon as a beluga whale was spotted making its way up the River Thames. … Based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, beluga whales are considered to be a near threatened species (Jefferson et al., 2012). There are numerous threats to the Beluga Whale. Historically, hunting of Beluga Whales was a major threat to the species. As their other resources of prey diminish, they tend to consume more Beluga Whales. Beluga researcher Manuel Castellote deploying an acoustic recorder.
Industrial run-off in the St. Lawrence River has resulted in high levels of PCBs, heavy metals, and other toxins in the water.
In the past, hunting by humans has been an issue. Some anthropogenic threats negatively affecting the beluga whale population include pollution runoff, accidental catches from commercial fishing, pressure on prey items as a result of commercial fishing, and underwater noise as a result of vessel traffic in and around the coastline (Carter & … beluga whale is an emblem of the northern oceans, and their survival is dependent on a healthy Arctic ecosystem. Beluga whales face a number of environmental threats.
Populations of people particularly in Alaska, Russia, and Canada hunted these animals, using them for their meat, skin, and fat. Beluga Conservation Status and Threats. Noise was identified as a threat of high concern in the 2016 Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Recovery Plan. Recent research has found that there are two genetically distinct lineages of beluga whales, which carries important implications for conservation efforts (Gladden et al., 1999). The Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) are one of the most popular and recognizable whales. Although beluga whales migrate during the winter season, they are still dependent on the Arctic ice during the other seasons to survive. Both Killer Whales and Polar Bears are natural threats to this whale species. These whales are relatively slow swimmers causing them to be easily caught by predators without the protection of the Arctic ice.
However, it doesn’t seem to be a huge threat currently. Threats to the Beluga Whale. The Importance of Hearing and Communication in the Beluga Community Belugas have a well-developed sense of hearing. The toxins enter the food chain through single-celled organisms and become concentrated in the bodies of large carnivores.
... Other threats, particularly to the St. Lawrence beluga population, include contamination by toxic chemicals, and a reduction in the abundance, quality, and availability of prey. The ice provides protection for these whales from their Arctic predators such as polar bears, killer whales, and even Inuit communities. There are some opportunities to study them in the wild, though, and Georgia Aquarium is the primary funder of a collaboration of independent scientists, government agencies and partners conducting field research with beluga whales in Alaska, where the population faces significant threats to … Belugas are one of the most exploited whale species in the world today with hundreds killed in subsistence hunts each year in their range states of Canada, Greenland-Denmark, the United States, and Russia.