Three Gulf of Maine Offshore Closures Recommended to Save Right Whales

PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE • June 19, 2020

Emergency action is being requested to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whalesThe Pew Charitable Trusts petitioned Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross yesterday to do more to save the fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales, many off New England shores. Peter Baker is the director of Pew's marine conservation work in New England. He says they're recommending four targeted offshore closures, including three seasonal areas in Gulf of Maine federal waters. "The state of Maine says that 76% of their lobstermen never leave state waters when they're fishing for lobsters," says Baker. "And the vast majority of these closed areas occur in federal waters that are offshore." Baker says closing these areas would do a lot to preserve the species. The state of Maine and local lobster groups claim recent federal right whale recommendations unfairly burden lobstermen.