The government has violated both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act by failing to protect the North Atlantic right whale, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled.
FILE - This Dec. 2, 2021, photo provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources shows an endangered North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing rope being sighted with a newborn calf in waters near Cumberland Island, Ga. The federal government hasn't done enough to protect a rare species of whale from lethal entanglement in lobster fishing gear, and new rules are needed to protect the species from extinction, a judge has ruled, Friday, July 8, 2022.
Boasberg's ruling was a victory for conservation groups that have long sought to save the whale and a new challenge for lobster fishermen who have fought back against tightening restrictions on where and how they can fish. Boasberg ruled that the court's findings “do not dictate that it must immediately shutter the American lobster fishery,” but instead said the parties must propose potential remedies to the threat faced by whales.
The ruling came after a group of environmental organizations sued the federal government with a complaint that it wasn't doing enough to save whales from lobster gear. Boasberg's ruling validates that claim, said Kristen Monsell, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups that sued.
The Maine Lobstermen's Association, the largest fishing trade group on the East Coast, said in a statement that it was still reviewing the ruling. The association also pointed to a section of Boasberg's ruling that said the National Marine Fisheries Service “may find that other measures exist to reduce lethal take, or that projected take is in fact lower than originally estimated.” That renders the ruling “a mixed bag,” the association said.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Weak protection for vanishing whale violates law, judge saysA judge says the federal government hasn’t done enough to protect a rare species of whale from lethal entanglement in lobster fishing gear, and new rules are needed to protect the species from extinction
Read more »
Weak protection for vanishing whale violates law, judge saysA judge says the federal government hasn’t done enough to protect a rare species of whale from lethal entanglement in lobster fishing gear, and new rules are needed to protect the species from extinction.
Read more »
Weak protection for vanishing whale violates law, judge saysA judge says the federal government hasn’t done enough to protect the Right Whale species from lethal entanglement in lobster fishing gear, and new rules are needed to protect the species from extinction.
Read more »
June's jobs breakdown: Hiring hot spots, weak spotsHiring was solid in June. Here's a roundup of the top five sectors leading the push to add workers.
Read more »
Georgia prosecutor calls explosion at 'America's Stonehenge' an act of domestic terrorismRegardless of how people feel about the Georgia Guidestones, 'they are a historical landmark, and this destructive act was an assault upon our community,' the prosecutor said.
Read more »
Under Pressure to Act, Biden to Sign Executive Order on Abortion AccessThe president's order excludes certain actions that progressives have demanded, such as authorizing the use of federal lands to set up abortion clinics in Republican-led states.
Read more »