A federal appeals court reinstated a ban on lobster fishing that protects right whales and aids their conservation, according to News Center Maine.
Reversing a lower court's decision, the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the protections due to the high number of right whale deaths caused by entanglement in lobster fishing gear.
The federal law, which the lower court had previously ruled against, is not a full ban on the lobster industry. It only bans lobster fishing in a 200-nautical-mile area off the New England coast from February 1 to April 30 every year.
North Atlantic right whales were nearly wiped out during the commercial whaling era and almost became extinct in the early 1900s. Conservation efforts helped whale populations recover, but progress has been slow.
Now, entanglement in lobster fishing gear is one of the greatest threats to the right whale. Another serious and lethal threat is collisions with large ships. The previous government administration introduced a proposal that would have required ships to slow down in East Coast waters to protect the whales, but their attempt was unsuccessful before President Trump took office.
There are currently fewer than 380 North Atlantic right whales, and that number is declining. Jane Davenport, a senior attorney with Defenders of Wildlife, said the appeals court decision "represents a major victory for right whale conservation," per News Center Maine.
Winter is a critical time for the whales because they are present in large numbers off the New England coast during those months. Davenport also stated that the ban "affects only a handful of lobstermen for three months but protects right whales from the deadly fishing gear entanglements driving this species towards extinction."
Wildlife conservation is vital to maintaining biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and the food chain we all rely on.
Commercial fishermen are reportedly disappointed in the appeals court's decision. Maritime industry workers had been hoping the Trump Administration would be more receptive to their needs and concerns, News Center Maine reported.
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Fantastic 😎 Executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association Beth Casoni explained that they're devising a plan to respond to the ruling. "While we are disappointed at the ruling handed down today, we are working with our counsels on what our options are for our next move," Casoni said, per News Center Maine.
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