On November 16, 2020, Judge Lance Walker ordered a temporary stay in the lawsuit led by Max Strahan, aka Man Against Xtinction, in September 2019 in U.S. District court in Bangor. Strahan had brought suit … Continue reading
Massachusetts Proposes New Regulations to Protect Right Whales in State Waters
In January 2020, Max Strahan, a self-described whale activist, filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts against the state. He contended that the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) licensing of fixed gear fisheries … Continue reading
NOAA Estimates Only 366 Right Whales Alive
Every year, NOAA Fisheries estimates the endangered North Atlantic right whale population abundance and shares that estimate at the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium’s annual meeting, held this year on Oct 27-28, 2020. This year’s … Continue reading
Steaming Ahead: October 2020
Like most of you, I await the release of the draft whale rules with a mixture of dread and anxiety. While no one knows for sure what alternatives NMFS will propose in the new rules, … Continue reading
Draft Whale Rules Expected by Fall
Maine lobstering communities are waiting with great anxiety to learn the outcome of two court cases related to North Atlantic right whale protections. Each case has the potential to fundamentally change how lobster fishing is … Continue reading
U.S. Federal Laws Create Complex Path for Lobster Fishery
The United States has some of the most stringent environmental protection laws in the world. Those laws, which ensure we have clean water and air, also ensure that plant and animal species are protected for … Continue reading
Lobstering Laws: Will the Whales Win?
First published in National Fisherman, April 21. Reprinted with permission. It was December 2000, and both houses of Congress were itching to go home. They just needed to wrap up the budget — the new … Continue reading
In the News: January 2020
First published in Landings, January, 2020 First Right Whale Calf of the Season Seen The first right whale calf of the winter migration season was spotted in late December off the coast of Georgia. Aerial … Continue reading
Atlantic Seismic Testing Permits Still Under Review
The U.S. Interior Department is still processing permit applications for companies to conduct seismic testing in the Atlantic — a precursor to drilling — despite shelving its plan to vastly expand offshore drilling. Atlantic coastal … Continue reading
Maine Lobstermen must reduce vertical lines by 50%
“I felt like I was leaving the funeral of a good friend,” said Stonington lobsterman and MLA board member John Williams. He was referring to the stress he felt at the close of the week-long … Continue reading