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For Immediate Release
• Defenders of Wildlife • The Humane Society of the United States • The Ocean Conservancy • The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
Federal court orders Coast Guard to review shipping routes to protect endangered right whales
WASHINGTON — Today, the federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a major decision in the ongoing battle to save the world's last remaining North Atlantic right whales. Ruling on a lawsuit filed by Defenders of Wildlife, The Humane Society of the United States, Ocean Conservancy and other whale advocates, the Court ordered the Coast Guard to review the impact of shipping traffic lanes on endangered whales. The ruling is a crucial step towards altering shipping lanes to stop ship strikes in critically endangered right whale habitat.
“We applaud the court’s decision,” said Robert Dreher, vice president of conservation law for Defenders of Wildlife. “Ship collisions are the greatest threat to the survival of the right whale, so ensuring that the Coast Guard protects the whale in setting shipping lanes is a great conservation victory.”
Ship strikes are the leading cause of injuries and mortalities to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Vessel strikes are known to kill or injure a minimum of three whales each year on the East Coast, and a number of ship strikes are believed to go unreported. Only about 350 North Atlantic right whales are left, and according to the National Marine Fisheries Service the loss of even one whale brings the species closer to extinction. The North Atlantic right whale is protected under both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
“This decision is a wake up call for the Coast Guard,” said Jonathan R. Lovvorn, vice president of animal protection litigation for The HSUS. “The agency cannot just stand idly by while the last few right whales are run into the ground by the shipping industry.”
In 2006 the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed a rule to limit ship speeds in right whale habitat to further avoid ship strikes. The Bush Administration has delayed implementation of this rule even though slower speeds are necessary to save this endangered species.
“The Court made clear that U.S. Coast Guard has an obligation to protect endangered whales from ships strikes by assessing its routing measures,” said Vicki Cornish, vice president of marine wildlife conservation at Ocean Conservancy. “However, the Bush Administration shares this responsibility and it has yet to act on speed restrictions. The Office of Management and Budget needs to stop delaying vital protections before we lose right whales forever.”
The same plaintiffs recently filed a new lawsuit over NMFS’s refusal to impose emergency ship speed restrictions while the agency’s 2006 proposed rule is being finalized. The Court noted in today’s decision that the continued delay in finalizing the proposed rule “cast doubt” on the propriety of refusing to issue emergency measures.
- The North Atlantic right whale is a
critically endangered marine animal once hunted to near extinction by whalers.
Now there are only about 350 of these whales left.
- Adult female right whales reproduce slowly – they give
birth to one calf every four years and do not reach reproductive maturity until
age 8.
- In addition to ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear
kills a number of right whales each year.
- Plaintiffs were represented by Meyer, Glitzenstein, & Crystal in Washington, DC.
Find more information on this decision and the case.
Learn more about what Defenders is doing to save the right whale.
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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is the nation’s largest animal protection organization – backed by nearly 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org.
Ocean Conservancy (OC) is the world’s foremost advocate for the ocean. Through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, we inform, inspire and empower people to speak and act for the oceans. Ocean Conservancy is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in New England, Florida, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and California with support from more than half a million members and volunteers. Visit Ocean Conservancy on the Web at www.oceanconservancy.org.
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (North America) Inc. (WDCS) is the global voice for the protection of whales and dolphins and their environment. It is based in Plymouth, MA and is part of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, a charity registered in England with additional offices in Germany, Argentina and Australia. For further information please visit www.whales.org.
