AbstractPopulations of blue whales were heavily depleted across the globe by industrial whaling and are still considered globally endangered today. In the Northwest Atlantic, an estimated 400–600 individuals remain, but these numbers are highly uncertain. Ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and marine debris are thought to be leading causes of contemporary human-caused mortality in blue whales, with anthropogenic noise possibly causing sublethal stress and injury. Climate change is recognised as an emerging and intensifying threat that is likely to affect food supply and could limit the capacity of the population to recover. Both Canada and the United States have protected blue whales through their domestic legislation. This article reviews law and policy responses in the two countries, as well as bilateral, regional and international frameworks that address anthropogenic threats to blue whales. Future scientific directions, as well as recommendations for improvements to domestic legislation and multilevel cooperation are outlined.

中文翻译：

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北大西洋濒临灭绝的蓝鲸生存：滞后的科学和治理反应，规划未来的路线

摘要全球范围内的工业捕鲸使蓝鲸种群严重枯竭，如今仍被认为是全球濒危物种。在西北大西洋，估计还有 400-600 人，但这些数字非常不确定。船舶撞击、渔具纠缠和海洋垃圾被认为是导致蓝鲸当代人为死亡的主要原因，人为噪音可能导致亚致死压力和伤害。气候变化被认为是一种新兴且日益严重的威胁，可能会影响粮食供应，并可能限制人口恢复的能力。加拿大和美国都通过国内立法保护蓝鲸。本文回顾了两国的法律和政策应对措施，以及双边、解决蓝鲸人为威胁的区域和国际框架。概述了未来的科学方向，以及改进国内立法和多层次合作的建议。