“On this day, the right whales gave researchers a unique view of their lives; spending gentle, quiet time together, possibly making new right whales. The whales were also seen skim feeding on plankton, and nursing calves, possibly conceived in SAGs more than a year ago.”
“It cannot be overstated how critical it is to protect more of this country’s natural places,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “Permanently protecting 30 percent of lands and waters will help fight the climate crisis, protect biodiversity, and give future generations a chance at inheriting a healthy planet. The administration’s report presents a reasonable path for reaching this goal in nine short years, but for the effort to be credible the administration needs to be clearer about what criteria must be met to consider lands or waters ‘preserved.’”
We find ourselves on the cusp of a sea change in how we transport people and goods as we urgently work to cut the climate-damaging emissions that spew from New Englanders’ tailpipes.
As a reporter for The Boston Globe and a documentary filmmaker, David Abel casts light on serious environmental issues by crafting compelling stories that inspire action.
Regulators have known for more than 20 years that vessel strikes kill right whales at an alarming rate. But to date, they haven’t put forward a real solution.
“The Supreme Court correctly rejected this baseless challenge to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “The science supporting the need for this critical protected area—the only one along the Atlantic seaboard—has only gotten stronger and more compelling. The Biden Administration must now reinstate the ban on commercial fishing within the monument’s boundaries as soon as possible.”
“It’s concerning any time you get a statement like this from a justice, especially from the chief justice,” said Peter Shelley, senior counsel at the Conservation Law Foundation in Boston. “The tea leaves of this statement are going to be read closely by people with very different perspectives.”
Regulators have known for more than 20 years that vessel strikes kill right whales at an alarming rate. But to date, they haven’t put forward a real solution.
Early announcements from the new administration give reason for optimism and could help us leave a healthy ocean for future generations. The emphasis on conserving protected ocean areas like the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts means the ocean has a shot at recovering from the damage humans have inflicted.
“Offshore wind is a critical piece of New England’s shift from polluting fossil fuels to clean energy,” said Priscilla Brooks, Director of Ocean Conservation at CLF. “Today’s news is an exciting step forward for the Vineyard Wind project and we look forward to reviewing the environmental impact statement. We will continue to work with Vineyard Wind and federal officials to make sure that this project moves forward quickly and in a way that avoids harm to endangered North Atlantic right whales as well as other ocean wildlife and habitats.”
