Grijalva Statement on North Atlantic Right Whale Found Dead and Entangled in Maine Fishing Gear
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement in response to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) announcement that the juvenile North Atlantic right whale found dead off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in January was entangled in Maine fishing gear.
“Today’s announcement is a sobering reminder of the threats to the North Atlantic right whale population from fishing gear entanglement, and the urgency to get my legislation, the RESCUE Whales Act, signed into law. I want to thank the scientists and law enforcement officers for their timely and careful investigation of this unfortunate incident, and I call on the National Marine Fisheries Service to do all they can to ensure the conservation of the North Atlantic right whale under the Mammal Marine Protection Act and Endangered Species Act. “
Additional Background
North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with fewer than 340 individuals surviving. Vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements in American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries have largely been responsible for a 30 percent decline in the right whale population since 2011, bringing them to their lowest population numbers in two decades. The National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) declared an Unusual Mortality Event for the North American right whale beginning in 2017.
In February 2023, Ranking Member Grijalva introduced the Restoring Effective Science-based Conservation Under Environmental Laws Protecting Whales Act (RESCUE Whales Act) to repeal language passed in December’s FY2023 omnibus funding package that significantly threatens the survival and recovery of the North Atlantic right whale. More information on Grijalva’s RESCUE Whales Act and the ongoing threat to North Atlantic right whales can be found HERE.
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