Can a baby boom save the right whale — and Maine’s lobster industry?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 15, 2026

The North Atlantic right whale has spent much of the last decade teetering on the edge of extinction, having to travel farther for food while dodging ships and fishing gear, but a baby boom is offering the species — and lobstermen trying to avoid them — a glimmer of hope. The species has experienced its most successful calving season since 2009. Twenty-three calves were born over the winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That is enough to stabilize a population that numbers roughly 384 individuals. For Maine’s lobstermen, who are currently facing a 2028 deadline to meet new risk-reduction rules, the successful calving season is a potential regulatory reprieve.