After 14 years of development, a newly approved plan for managing New England’s fisheries should have prioritized protection of important ocean habitats and improved the long-term well-being of our fishing economy. Instead, in a short-sighted decision, fishery managers put fragile habitats and overfished species at even greater risk than they are today.
North Atlantic right whales could be extinct by 2040 if we don’t act quickly. Once a common target for whalers, the population now faces new and increasing threats from ship strikes and fishing gear. We need all hands on deck to save our right whales.
Soon, President Obama will close his eight years in office with a strong ocean legacy. He will be remembered for having protected more square miles of ocean than any president before. His administration created new marine sanctuaries, expanded Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, and of course, designated the first such monument in the Atlantic, the Northeast Canyons… Continue reading Cashes Ledge: The Next Chapter for Protecting New England’s Ocean Treasures
Climate Impacts in Motion In September, leaders from around the world gathered in Washington, D.C., for the third annual Our Ocean Conference, hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry. Together, they committed to 136 new initiatives aimed at conserving and protecting fragile ocean areas worldwide. In between commitments from the countries of Sri Lanka and… Continue reading Our Changing Ocean
… Over the past year, Cashes Ledge and several canyons and seamounts on or near the southern edge of Georges Bank have been proposed as national monuments. We won’t know the outcome for sure until January 2017, but the question remains: Is there a need for a few carefully selected areas in the Gulf of… Continue reading The Potential of the Gulf of Maine
… The Conservation Law Foundation, which has been leading the Cashes Ledge effort, is continuing its campaign. It says that a coalition of environmental groups collected more than 250,000 signatures between August 2015 and this month in support of protecting both areas. “I think the door is really never shut at the White House for… Continue reading Push Continues For Gulf Of Maine Monument Status
