US House passes bill delaying start of new right whale rules

MAINE PUBLIC • September 2, 2026

The U.S. House has passed a bill that would delay the start of new federal regulations intended to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.The bill would extend an existing moratorium on new federal rules for fishermen until 2035. The current moratorium, which was championed by Maine's congressional delegation and inserted into a 2023 budget measure, is set to lift at the end of 2028. NOAA recently announced the beginning of a public comment period intended to launch discussions about new federal regulations, which the agency said must be in place by the last day of 2028. Maine lobstermen, however, say more time is needed to study where the whales are and how their presence overlaps with key fishing areas before negotiations about new regulations can begin.