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NRLD - 96270 | Balaenoptera borealis

Assessment ID
96270
Taxon name
Balaenoptera borealis
Lesson, 1828
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Balaenoptera borealis
Lesson, 1828
Common name(s)
Sei Whale (English), Rorqual boréal (Français)
Assessed taxon level
Population
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
chordata
Class
mammalia
Order
cetacea
Family
balaenopteridae
Genus
Balaenoptera
Species
borealis
Species authority
Lesson, 1828
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Pacific population
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
Canada
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
Canada
Country ISO code(s)
CAN
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Endangered; En voie de disparition
Abbreviated status
EN
Criteria system used
Modified IUCN

(see Assessment details)

Assessment rationale/justification
This was one of the most abundant species sought by whalers off the British Columbia coast (with over 4000 individuals killed) and was also commonly taken in other areas of the eastern North Pacific. Sei whales have not been reported in British Columbia since whaling ended and may now be gone. There are few, if any, mature individuals remaining in British Columbia waters; and there is clear evidence of a dramatic decline caused by whaling and no sign of recovery.; Il s'agissait de l'une des espèces les plus abondantes recherchées par les pêcheurs de baleines au large de la cà´te de la Colombie-Britannique (avec plus de 4 000 individus abattus), et elle était aussi souvent prise dans d'autres zones de l'Est du Pacifique Nord. Des rorquals boréaux n'ont pas été signalés en Colombie-Britannique depuis la fin de la pêche à la baleine. Il y a, s'il en reste, peu d'individus matures dans les eaux de la Colombie-Britannique, et il y a des preuves manifestes d'un important déclin causé par la pêche à la baleine et aucun signe de rétablissement.
Assessment details
Year assessed
2003
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Environment Canada.
Criteria system used
Modified IUCN
Reference for methods given
COSEWIC- Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (2003)
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Pacific Ocean
Is there a map available in assessment?
Not_assigned
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Terrestrial
Not_assigned
Freshwater
Not_assigned
Marine
Not_assigned
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
No information available
History
Designated Endangered in May 2003.; Espèce désignée ' en voie de disparition ' en mai 2003.
Publication
COSEWIC. 2003. Canadian Wildlife Species at Risk. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Web site: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/wildlife-plants-species/species-risk.html