Right whale mothers and calves are especially vulnerable to being hit by boats and ships. For the species to survive, we need to better protect them.
Learn how transitioning to ropeless fishing gear offers an alternative that could recover right whales and preserve the livelihood of New England’s iconic lobstermen and women.
After a victory in the first phase of our lawsuit to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales, now we’re asking the court for protective measures in the second phase.
Atlantic herring is one of the most important fish in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. An upcoming decision by the New England Fishery Management Council could recognize herring’s role in maintaining the health of our ocean ecosystem.
In a major win for endangered North Atlantic right whales, a federal judge ruled that gillnet fishing gear must be removed from 3,000 nautical miles of ocean waters in southern New England. Opening the areas to gillnet fishing without considering harm to right whales violated the Endangered Species Act, and the gear must be removed until the required analysis is complete.
Off the rocky coastline of Maine is an expanse of brightly colored lobster buoys. The buoys – which mark where potentially millions of traps are dropped along the 3,000-mile coast – are an iconic image, bobbing along with the shifting tides. But lobsters aren’t the only living icon in Maine’s waters: The North Atlantic right… Continue reading The Road to Ropeless Fishing Gear
Seven new North Atlantic right whale calves are migrating with their mothers and other whales back up the east cost into New England and Canadian waters. But this journey is full of threats: ship strikes, noise pollution, and entanglement in fishing gear all threaten their survival. We must work to make our oceans a safe and welcoming place for right whales.
With a new estimate of fewer than 408 North Atlantic right whales, it’s even more critical to get new ropeless fishing gear in the water as soon as possible to prevent the entanglements that are killing our endangered whales.
Immediate action is required to save the North Atlantic right whale. Getting an accurate Biological Opinion is a key step.
The Trump administration has proposed changes to how the Endangered Species Act gets implemented that would be detrimental to countless species. Let the administration know you oppose these changes and support a strong Endangered Species Act so that right whales – and thousands of other species – will continue to be protected.
