Listen to the story HERE By Mark Moran February 9, 2024 Wildlife advocates are calling on the Biden administration to tighten regulations protecting right whales in the North Atlantic following a series of injuries and deaths of the rare ocean mammals. Defenders of Wildlife said since 2017, there have been 37 documented right whale deaths in U.S. and Canadian waters. The population has […]
Wildlife advocates are calling on the Biden administration to tighten regulations protecting right whales in the North Atlantic following a series of injuries and deaths of the rare ocean mammals.
Defenders of Wildlife said since 2017, there have been 37 documented right whale deaths in U.S. and Canadian waters. The population has declined 20% since 2010.
Jane Davenport, senior attorney for Defenders of Wildlife, said her group supports the Biden administration’s proposal to impose seasonal speed limits on vessels 35 feet and longer to slow the boats down during the whales’ busiest times.
“In other words, if right whales are detected either visually or acoustically, then there would be drawn a dynamic speed zone around them in which vessels would have to slow to 10 nautical miles an hour or less while they’re going through that zone,” Davenport explained.
Davenport noted a right whale calf currently has a 1-in-14 chance of dying before its first birthday from a vessel strike. The Biden administration is investing nearly $10 million to support recovery efforts as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said right whales are nearing extinction, with only 360 remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females.
Davenport argued right whale protections are among the most critical environmental efforts the country can undertake.
“All that fertilization that they’re doing,” Davenport stressed. “I mean, we talk about saving trees, but we need to realize saving a whale is the equivalent of saving thousands and thousands and thousands of trees, in terms of the ecosystem services it can provide.”
Davenport reported the latest right whale injured off the South Carolina coast was the first one to be born during the 2024 calving season. NOAA said its injuries were consistent with a vessel strike.
Davenport added only one-third of right whale mortalities are ever observed, so the documented deaths represent a significant undercount of the actual number.
The whales are being forced to search for food closer to shore due to climate change. Big oil tankers and other shipping vessels go too fast to slow down. Other vessels like survey ships for offshore wind have lookouts to ensure the protection of the whales.
Maine Insights, a 501(c)4, connects our main streets with lawmakers in Augusta, highlighting state policies, technological innovations, agriculture, education, community growth and economics with factual analysis, individual profiles and exclusive in-depth coverage. We also report on areas where justice is not being served in the hope to be a contributing catalyst for change.
Your contribution today, will ensure our reporting continues into the future. Please send your donation to 8 Brook St., Solon, ME 04979.
Visit PEN for in-depth coverage of how America is addressing the climate crises. Systemic racism has held back progress, along with the deep pockets of industry that don’t want to change the status quo.
Protect Earth Newsmagazine highlights what lawmakers from the local level on up to the Federal Government are doing to protect the earth. We also report on community ingenuity and innovations that will help the U.S.A. transition to being powered by 100 percent, clean renewable energy. A 501(c)3 project of the Solon Center for Research and Publishing.
LATEST NEWS
SCIENCE MONDAY
Helpful science tips in playful videos that explain principles we all deal with to understand our climate crisis. The PENseries is the creation of Olivia Baaten.