Aug 06, 2020

Vessel Speed Limits Needed to Protect Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales

“Right whale recovery has been plagued by two major threats: entanglements and vessel strikes,” said Erica Fuller, Senior Attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “In the Northeast, we’ve been addressing entanglement risks for several years, and we must address the risk of ship strikes. Preventing entanglements but not vessel strikes is like paying your mortgage but not your taxes. You need to do both if you want to keep your house.”

Jul 09, 2020

Right Whales Declared Critically Endangered

“This is a barometer and the forecast for right whales could still go either way,” said CLF Senior Attorney Erica Fuller. “With a calf recently found dead of blunt trauma caused by a vessel strike, we’re one step closer to extinction. While this new status doesn’t  change legal obligations here at home, it’s a reminder that to save this species, we can’t wait any longer for necessary long term protections.”

right whale aerial shot
Jun 25, 2020

Right Whale Found Dead in U.S. Waters

“This death is a tragedy,” said Erica Fuller, CLF Senior Attorney. “Like most of the right whales before it, this one didn’t die of natural causes. NOAA must take the threat of ship strikes seriously. We urgently need more surveillance of whale habitats and mandatory vessel speed restrictions in these areas as soon as possible.” 

Right whale - protect right whales from vessel strikes
Apr 29, 2020

5 Questions for Alyssa Irizarry of Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs

In 2019, Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs presented the Healthy Whale, Healthy Ocean Challenge, in partnership with CLF. Students of all ages from across New England created art, poetry, and film to raise awareness of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. We sat down with Senior Vice President Alyssa Irizarry to learn more about… Continue reading 5 Questions for Alyssa Irizarry of Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs

Alyssa Irizarry
Apr 15, 2020

Update: How to Track Right Whales from the Comfort of Your Home

Thanks to technology, you can spot endangered North Atlantic right whales from your couch. Right now, the whales that traveled south for the winter are migrating back north to our waters. While we’re all at home, it’s a great time to add whale watching to your quarantine activity list.

Apr 09, 2020

Judge Rules that Federal Fishery Managers Violated the Endangered Species Act

“This decision confirms that even the federal government is not above the law,” said Erica Fuller, CLF Senior Attorney. “We must do whatever it takes to ensure right whales are here for future generations, and that starts with obeying the Endangered Species Act. The ruling provides an incentive for fishermen and scientists to forge a new path  that protects right whales while also sustaining the lobster industry.”

right whale aerial shot
Mar 23, 2020

Conservation Matters Spring 2020

For centuries, Atlantic cod has been essential to New England’s identity. Yet today, you can rarely find locally caught cod in a grocery store or on a menu – because it has been fished to the brink of disaster. Here’s what it’s going to take to save New England’s founding fish.

Conservation Matters Spring 2020