MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • April 23, 2023
More than a third of the species has been lost since 2010; of the roughly 340 remaining right whales, fewer than 70 are females who are able to reproduce. Vessel strikes and fishing gear that entangles right whales, are pushing the species closer to the extinction tipping point. Sadly, right whales are also entangled in and exploited by political and economic interests. Unfortunately, in December, Maine lawmakers successfully circumvented protection provisions by adding a last-minute rider to federal spending legislation, which delayed for six years new federal fishing regulations aimed at preventing right whale entanglements. For the species as a whole, there is still cause for hope – if our leaders stop sidelining science-based management strategies. ~ Kate O’Connell, Animal Welfare Institute