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have a profound effect on whether the species survives."^{7 1}Every effort made to save these

animals, no matter how insignificant it might seem to the layperson, has a profound affect on

whether these animals may or may not go on existing for future generations. "The overall goal of

the recovery plan is to reach a population size of 1200 individuals. The attainment of such a goal

might cause reconsideration of endangered status and will definitely take more than 20 years to

attain."⁷²

The New England Aquarium has a large team established for the sole purpose of

protecting and saving the Northern Right Whale. The Aquarium and the previous mentioned

teams of advocates all seem to have the same goal and objectives in mind. Just to name a few,

they all feel that photoidentification, maintaining a right whale catalog, aerial surveys, genetic

studies, reducing human-caused mortalities, stranded whale response, satellite tagging, and

informing the public are all very important strategies to follow through with at all times if there

is to be any hope for the whales survival.⁷³It would not be possible however, for any of these

organizations to do all that they do if there were no laws that made it clear that protecting this

animal is important to everyone's future. The legal protection of the whales began in 1935 and

grew even stronger by 1949 when the International Whaling Commission banned all harvesting

of right whales.^{7 4}

People were beginning to realize what the whale's circumstances had turned

into because of all the hunting.^{7 5}

Following the initial protection, the United States felt it was

important to create their own laws pertaining to the conservation of the Northern Right Whale.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and The Endangered Species Act of 1973 both said

71 _{http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2001/nov/rightwhale/.} 72 _{http://www.bio.gc.ca/ED_RESOURCES/right_whale-e.html.} 73 _{http://www.marinegis.org/rwhale.html.}
74 _{http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/Biodiversity/biodv-}12.cfm?&CFID=7777749&CFTOKEN=67154491. 75 _{http://www.wildkingdom.com/conservation/nrw.html.}