The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most critically endangered whale species in the world, with only 370 still in existence. These whales are particularly vulnerable to accidental entanglement in fishing gear.
Unfortunately, two proposed amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act would limit our ability to do anything about it. One proposed change would extend an existing moratorium on federal rules to protect the right whale until 2035, while another would make it harder to set limits on annual marine mammal deaths. The latter amendment is expected to impact what’s called take reduction planning—a collaboration between regulatory agencies, fishermen, and other key stakeholders to address and ultimately reduce accidental entanglements.