Sep 10, 2021

New Legal Challenge to Federal Right Whale Rule Filed

“Fishermen should be recognized for the changes they have made to protect right whales from extinction, but we have much more work to do,” said Erica Fuller, senior attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “The existence of an entire species is at stake, and we must keep pressing forward. Fishery managers must take immediate action to reduce entanglements and we look forward to standing up for right whales in court to make sure they do.”

A right whale swimming off the coast of New England
Aug 31, 2021

NOAA Issues New Right Whale Protection Rule

“While this rule is a step in the right direction, it does not go far enough or fast enough to stop the precipitous decline of this species,” said Erica Fuller, Senior Attorney at CLF. “We plan to challenge the new rule in court to ensure that right whales recover rather than become an extinction statistic. That means reducing the risk of serious injuries and deaths by at least 80 percent immediately, not fiddling while Rome burns.”  

A right whale adult and calf near the water's surface
Jul 26, 2021

Bill to Reauthorize Federal Fisheries Law Introduced in U.S. House

 “With several New England fish populations in perpetual crisis, now is the time to strengthen the Magnuson-Stevens Act,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “Congressman Huffman’s bill has the potential to address the impacts of the climate crisis on our fisheries and improve protection of important habitat from destructive fishing gear, but it also risks weakening core provisions of the law that are essential for rebuilding overfished species. We’ll be continuing our push to end overfishing and rebuild our region’s threatened fish populations as this bill moves through Congress.”

Jun 21, 2021

Janet Coit Named Fisheries Leader

“With the climate crisis threatening ocean life as we know it, we are depending on our leaders to treat this situation with the urgency it demands,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “By appointing a highly regarded expert from New England, President Biden will have a NMFS leader who understands the perils our ocean faces and the promise it holds in a resilient future. CLF looks forward to working with Administrator Coit to restore healthy fisheries in New England and protect critical ocean species and habitat.”

Jan 30, 2021

President Biden Stands Up for the Ocean

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.