Narwhals deemed ‘not at risk’ by wildlife committee – Nunatsiaq News

May 24, 2024

COSEWIC reassessment finds narwhal population growing, moving from boat traffic

After a sizable jump in the narwhal population size since its last assessment, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada says the whale, nicknamed the unicorn of the sea, is a “not at risk” species in a recent report.

While the population increased, the assessment did find that narwhals are sensitive to sound from boats and move away from boat traffic, Mike Hammill, the co-chair of COSEWIC’s marine mammals subcommittee, told Nunatsiaq News.

Previously the species was listed as being of “special concern.”

Under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, the committee is an independent advisory panel that assesses species, leaving the federal government the responsibility of responding to the committee’s reports.