Bryde’s whale  (Balaenoptera edeni)

A long standing prohibition on the operation of factory ships north of 40°S, put in place to prevent hunting of rorqual whale’s at their lower latitude breeding grounds, allowed the Bryde’s whale to escape most of the historical exploitation of rorquals, as it occupies this region all year round (1). Only populations in the North Pacific may have been affected, as whaling vessels in this region were allowed to operate at lower latitudes, but even this threat was mitigated by the international moratorium on all commercial whaling implemented by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986 (1) (2). Although pelagic whaling by Japan was subsequently resumed in 2000, it is under scientific permit, and limited to catches of 50 individuals per year (1).

The main concern is that, while assessed as a single species, the Bryde’s whale appears to be abundant, but if it is in fact a complex of several separate species, some populations may be so small that they warrant threatened status and require conservation action (1).

The Bryde’s whale is included in Appendix I of CITES, making all international trade in this species illegal (3). With the current moratorium on commercial whaling in place, there appears to be little concern about the survival of this species. However, there is some concern that the moratorium may be lifted, leaving the Bryde’s whale open to exploitation (6).