Protected areas like the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts are critical in the fight to give these waters and species a chance to recover. We know that setting aside parts of the ocean leads to healthy marine life, which fuels an abundance and diversity of life in adjacent waters. That, in turn, supports our ocean economy, including commercial and recreational fishing and whale watching in the long run. Everyone wins.
Jan 30
2021
2021
Jan 27
2021
2021
President Biden Continues Environmental Actions
“Without strong action now, the climate crisis will devastate our communities, amplify injustice, and destroy ecosystems essential to human survival,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “President Biden is ushering in a new era for climate and environmental justice by prioritizing the needs of communities that have long borne the brunt of pollution and poor health. Conserving 30 percent of our lands and ocean will also allow thriving ecosystems to protect human and natural communities from climate changes already on the way. Today’s announcements are a welcome break from four years of all-out assaults on our environment.”
Jan 21
2021
2021
Biden Climate Team Promises New Path Forward for Our Country
When President Joe Biden formally announced his administration’s climate team this month, you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from people not just in our country but around the globe. Biden’s nominees will be charged with implementing his “ambitious plan to address the existential threat of our time: climate change.”
Jan 21
2021
2021
President Biden’s flurry of actions to protect the environment reignites a controversy about the Atlantic’s only marine monument
“Last summer, we watched in shock as President Trump effectively nullified the monument status of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts by opening it to commercial fishing,” said Bradley Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation. “Defending this monument is critical for protecting valuable species, confronting the climate crisis, and leaving a healthy ocean for future generations.”
Jan 20
2021
2021
Biden Commits to Environment on Day One
“President Biden’s decision to rejoin the Paris Agreement rights an egregious wrong and will require bold U.S. leadership to make up for four years of climate denial,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “The only way we’re going to protect our communities, economy, and homes from the climate crisis is by leading internationally. President Biden must translate his campaign commitments into far more than the modest measures the U.S. put on the table when the Paris agreement was struck.”
Jan 13
2021
2021
Groups Sue Feds to Protect Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales From Vessel Strikes
“Roughly half of all right whale deaths are because they are run over and killed by speeding boats, and this unprecedented delay is only making matters worse,” said Erica Fuller, a senior attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “It shouldn’t take a lawsuit to force regulators to make the common-sense decision to reduce vessel speeds in areas where right whales are present. The new administration must act quickly and avoid repeating the same mistakes of the Trump years.”
Dec 30
2020
2020
NOAA Proposes New Rule to Protect Right Whales
“After such an unprecedented delay, this new rule will help stem the surge of right whale deaths we’ve seen over the last several years,” said Erica Fuller, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Ropeless fishing is the only solution that protects whales and fishermen, and the rule expands that practice. However, NOAA must end its reliance on weak rope as a solution and get emergency protections on the water immediately while this rule is finalized.”
Dec 30
2020
2020
New Proposed Lobstering Rules Call For Seasonal Closures, Gear Tweaks To Reduce Right Whale Deaths
Conservationists call the rule a good first step, but way late, and it doesn’t do nearly enough to avert the whale’s extinction. Here’s Erica Fuller, of the Conservation Law Foundation: ‘We’re concerned about the agency’s reliance on weak rope,’ Fuller says, ‘and we’re concerned that it doesn’t appear that they are going to take any emergency action before these measures are effective on the water.’
Dec 21
2020
2020
Agreement to Cut Transportation Emissions Finalized
“TCI has the potential to fill a glaring gap in transportation funding and to reduce emissions, but it has been fraught by a process that too often ignored community concerns,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “While today’s agreement includes important equity commitments, it is the next steps that matter most. CLF can only support this program if these commitments become enforceable policies and truly additive investments in climate and the communities suffering most from air pollution and lack of transportation options.”