Maine Voices: The fate of a species is in our hands
Until new, long-term protections for right whales are in place, federal regulators must take emergency action.
Until new, long-term protections for right whales are in place, federal regulators must take emergency action.
Scientists estimate that little more than 350 whales are left on the planet – a shockingly low number. It is our activities in the ocean – fishing, shipping, drilling, construction – that threaten the survival of this species. In the last three years, vessel strikes, in particular, have caused about half of the known or suspected deaths of right whales in the U.S. and Canada.
“These population estimates are devastating,” said Erica Fuller, Senior Attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “The outlook is grim if we do not act today. We know human activities are decimating this population, what will it take for federal fishery managers to finally take action to protect these magnificent animals?”
“Tragically, this is yet another dead whale swimming,” said Emily Green, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Entanglements in fishing line basically torture the whale to death and pose one of the greatest threats to the recovery of this species. Right whales can be saved, but we must make difficult decisions to protect them now or else witness their demise.”
“Atlantic cod is one of New England’s most iconic fish and it is in peril,” said Allison Lorenc, Policy Analyst at CLF. “Establishing a new understanding of catch through 100% monitoring will provide scientists and managers with the information they need to prevent overfishing and help species like cod recover to healthy populations. A sustainable fishery must be based on accurate data, and the fishery management council demonstrated their commitment to that today while also minimizing the economic burden on the industry.”
As we celebrate the four-year anniversary of New England’s national monuments, CLF is part of a growing movement of scientists, policymakers, businesses, and conservation organizations in the United States and around the world calling for the global protection of at least 30% of land and 30% of the ocean by 2030.
“The judge made it clear that the federal government needs to go back to the drawing board and meaningfully address all of the impacts of the lobster fishery on right whales,” said Erica Fuller of the Conservation Law Foundation, one of the plaintiffs in the case. “Today’s ruling will put a stop to the government’s endless foot-dragging on implementing new long-term protections.”
“The North Atlantic right whale is in a really perilous position, hovering on the brink of extinction. And the sooner that we can get new protections in place, the better chance we have to protect it.” While the lawsuit had asked for a new rule by January, Green says the May deadline is still a victory.
“The survival of the species cannot wait for endless debate on new protections,” said Erica Fuller, senior attorney at CLF. “The judge made it clear that the federal government needs to go back to the drawing board and meaningfully address all of the impacts of the lobster fishery on right whales. Today’s ruling will put a stop to the government’s endless foot-dragging on implementing new long term protections.”
“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.”