More than three generations of North Atlantic right whales have been lost to the threat of entanglement. The solutions to save these vulnerable species exist and it is up to us to ask our leader for better protections for these majestic animals.
“For too long, the federal government has failed to act while North Atlantic right whales slip toward extinction,” said Erica Fuller, Senior Attorney at CLF. “The court’s ruling today makes it clear that fishery managers must do more to protect this species. We must all commit to taking and funding every step necessary, because even one right whale death is too many.”
Erica Fuller is an attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation, one of the groups that brought the lawsuit in the case against the government and the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. She said the ruling will likely shorten the government’s 10-year timeframe for reducing risk even further.
“Offshore wind is a crucial element of our nation’s strategy to address the climate crisis, but it must be done in a way that protects vital ocean wildlife and habitat,” said Dr. Priscilla Brooks, Director of Ocean Conservation at CLF. “With fewer than 350 critically endangered right whales remaining on earth, every loss is a tragedy. The vessel speed restrictions and adaptive management measures agreed to by South Fork Wind will go a long way toward protecting these whales from being injured or killed by project vessels.”
“The vessel speed restrictions and adaptive management measures agreed to by South Fork Wind will go a long way toward protecting these whales from being injured or killed by project vessels,” said Priscilla Brooks, vice president and director of ocean conservation at the Conservation Law Foundation.
“With our ocean in peril from unsustainable human use and climate impacts, now is not the time to be rolling back necessary protections,” said CLF Senior Attorney Erica Fuller. “The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts is a biological hotspot that provides a refuge for a remarkable diversity of wildlife and has enormous scientific value. We look forward to standing up for the monument in court.”
As the federal government begins identifying offshore wind areas in the Gulf of Maine, we must prioritize the health and prosperity of our communities and the environment. A comprehensive environmental analysis can help us achieve that.
With fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet, an encounter with this species is a rare and extraordinary experience. Adilson Gonzalez shares his first sighting of these critically endangered animals.
“Cape Cod Bay is not a dumping ground for toxic waste,” said Heather Govern, Vice President of Clean Air and Water at CLF. “Alternate methods of disposal for the radioactive water are available and Holtec must abandon all efforts to dispose of it in the bay immediately. The effects on the health of the bay, marine life, and the public are largely unknown but could be disastrous.”
North Atlantic right whales are fascinating, majestic creatures. Get to know some remarkable facts about this critically endangered species.
