ST. JOHN’S – Staff at the federal Fisheries Department are worried the United States government is about to adopt legislation jeopardizing the survival of the North Atlantic right whale, according to an internal government memo. FILE - A North Atlantic right whale surfaces on Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts, Monday, March 27, 2023. North Atlantic right whales are said to be one of the most endangered large whales in the world. Brillant said the North Atlantic right whale population was in “free fall” for about a decade. She pointed to research suggesting the North Atlantic right whale population could increase slowly over the next century, if dedicated conservation measures are in place.