Democratic Representative Jared Golden and a coalition of lobster fishing organizations in Maine are urging Congress to prolong a moratorium on regulations pertaining to right whales for an additional decade.
The ban forbade the federal government from enacting additional regulations on the lobster fishery that are meant to protect North Atlantic right whales. It was supported by the entire congressional delegation from Maine and was tucked into a last-minute budget package in the dying days of 2022.
By the end of 2028, the regulatory halt is expected to end. However, Golden, who serves in the second congressional district of Maine, stated on Tuesday that he thinks the moratorium ought to be prolonged until 2035.
The state of Maine began its own investigation on the existence of right whales in the Gulf of Maine last summer. State representatives have stated that they want the federal government’s new regulations to be informed by their data, which is not easy to compile.
Golden also said that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials have stated that they do not anticipate resuming extensive talks over new regulations until the following year.
During a House subcommittee meeting on Tuesday regarding an advocacy proposal that could amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act in a number of ways, Golden stated, “Lobstermen will have insufficient time to work in a good faith way to plan for new regulations, and may well find themselves unable to comply.”
The right whale regulation ban will be extended until 2035, according to a provision in the draft bill, which was authored by Republican Representative Nick Begich of Alaska. Additionally, it implies that when drafting new regulations aimed at safeguarding right whales and other large marine animals, NOAA officials should consider the “best available science” rather than the “worst case scenarios.”
The idea bill has been endorsed by several fishermen’s organizations, including the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, the Downeast Lobstermen’s Association, and the Maine Lobstering Union.
However, marine biologists and conservationists contend that the severely endangered right whale population, which is still home to roughly 370 animals, cannot afford to wait for additional protections. Right whale deaths and injuries are primarily caused by vessel impacts and entanglement in fishing gear.
