“This death is a tragedy,” said Erica Fuller, CLF Senior Attorney. “Like most of the right whales before it, this one didn’t die of natural causes. NOAA must take the threat of ship strikes seriously. We urgently need more surveillance of whale habitats and mandatory vessel speed restrictions in these areas as soon as possible.”
“Our regional managers have lost control of and abandoned the cod fishery,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at Conservation Law Foundation. “After decades of reckless decision-making, Atlantic cod populations are now in crisis. To give this iconic species a chance at survival and recovery, the federal government must take the strongest possible action today and temporarily prohibit further cod fishing.”
“Today’s decision is a clear victory for our oceans and for the Atlantic’s only marine national monument,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “This decision upholds protections for one of the most fragile and scientifically important areas in the North Atlantic from destructive activities like oil drilling and industrial fishing. Safeguarding the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts ensures that we are leaving a proud legacy for the people of New England.”
”Plastics create unsightly litter on land and are deadly in our oceans,” said Amy Moses, Vice President and Director of CLF Rhode Island. “Single-use plastics are made from fossil fuels and pollute our environment at every stage of their manufacture, use and disposal. We can’t recycle our way out of this problem. Rhode Island needs to ban these materials, and this task force is an important step in the right direction.”
“The council is taking a bold step in choosing to manage herring differently, and it should be commended,” said Erica Fuller, Senior Attorney at CLF. “After years of requests from scientists, recreational fishermen and the public, this amendment recognizes the critical role this species plays in our ocean ecosystem. These rules will make a long-lasting difference for herring, its predators, and the businesses and communities that depend upon a healthy fishery and a healthy ocean.”
A slew of bills under debate in Congress would endanger our marine life and ocean ecosystems by decimating key conservation protections offered by existing laws. Coupled with harmful actions from the Executive Branch, our ocean faces threats from some in Washington who are more concerned with lining the pockets of a few oil and gas industry executives than with the health of our ocean and coastal communities.
