Protect North Atlantic Right Whales

Critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are on the verge of extinction. Only around 380 of these whales remain, but some in Congress are moving a bill to delay critical protections for the species. Without action now, this could be the first loss of an entire large whale species in the Atlantic Ocean in centuries.

In 2022, Congress allowed the government to delay new measures to protect right whales from entanglement in fishing gear until 2029. This new legislation would further delay new protections for these whales until 2036 — well over a decade of willful inaction. Since 2022, at least 31 of these whales have been killed or injured due to entanglement in fishing gear.

North Atlantic right whales will continue to die from the ropes and lines of fishing gear if Congress passes another delay. Enough is enough.

We have management tools and solutions that can protect whales and the livelihoods of fishermen. We have more than enough information to take action to better protect these whales. Tell Congress to reject this bill and stop delaying protections for North Atlantic right whales.

Petition Letter

Dear Representative,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to H.R. 9436, a bill introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) that would delay needed protections for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales for an additional seven years, more than a decade after these protections were first required by a federal court. This bill is identical to H.R. 8509 (Golden, D-ME). Additional delay is unwarranted, unnecessary, and premature, and we are asking you to reject this bill.

North Atlantic right whales are one of the most endangered large whales on Earth. Recent estimates put their population at just over 380 with only 70 breeding females. Although the situation is dire for this species, experts advise that they are not a lost cause. If the U.S. takes action to significantly reduce injuries and deaths from collisions with boats and entanglement with fishing gear, this population can recover.

Entanglement in U.S. fishing gear is a chronic source of injury and mortality for North Atlantic right whales. Experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have advised for nearly a decade that much more needs to be done to reduce the risk of entanglements in U.S. waters.

In 2022, a rider on an appropriations bill allowed East coast fisheries with known entanglement problems to continue operating without new protections six years through the end of 2028. Supporters of the rider argued that this delay would provide more time to study the whales and explore available strategies to reduce risk of entanglement.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) created a stakeholder driven process that seeks consensus among interested parties when recommending protections to meet conservation goals for species like North Atlantic right whales. Now, before that additional information can even be presented to managers to consider additional protections, Representative Lawler and Representative Golden have introduced H.R. 9436 that will extend this unnecessary delay by another seven years.

We know that the unwarranted delay created in 2022 has led to continued entanglement, injury, and death of North Atlantic right whales in U.S. waters. Specifically, there have been 31 observed entanglements, including two confirmed deaths from entanglement that could have been prevented if strong protections had been put in place, instead of delaying needed action.

This is a short-sighted bill that ignores science and cuts out an important public process to find management interventions that work for the whales and for the affected fisheries.

Congress should reject this bill and let the MMPA work as designed, allowing a broad range of interested parties to seek consensus in meeting the conservation needs of this species. Supporting H.R. 9436 puts politics ahead of conservation.

I urge you to oppose H.R. 9436 and support necessary action to recover the North Atlantic right whale.