'Unprecedented:' Another right whale carcass washes up on Newfoundland shore

Another North Atlantic right whale carcass has washed up on the west coast of Newfoundland.

Four right whale carcasses have now been identified on the west coast of the province, bringing thenumber of dead right whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to 10.

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In a release sent Aug.1, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans says "this is an unprecedented number of deaths and the situation is extremely concerning."

In the release, the department said the carcass wasdiscoveredsouth of theRiver of Ponds area. Its identity was confirmedafter a surveillance flight.

Fisheries and Oceanssaysresearch scientistJack Lawson and local fisheries officers are working to determine what killed the whales.

In the meantime, the department istaking measures to protect rightwhales in the area, including surveillance flights and theclosing of snow crab fishing in the area.

Three otherwhale carcasses have washed up on Newfoundland shores in Chimney Cove, Cape Ray and Cedar Cove.

Lawson told CBC News last week that he estimates there are only 468 right whales in the world. Researchers in Nova Scotia think that number might be closer to 500.