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Maine Gov. Janet Mills said Monday she has “grave concern” about a federal plan aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, and warned that if the plan is adopted it could prove economically devastating to the state and endanger the Maine lobster fishery.
“The survival of Maine’s iconic lobster fishery, and in fact, our heritage, through the future of Maine’s independent lobstermen and women, depend on your willingness to act,” Mills wrote in a letter filed with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration on Feb. 19.
Mills wrote that Maine fishermen should not be penalized by the fact that right whales swim into Canadian waters and suffer injuries from fishing gear.
Mills expresses ‘grave concern’ over plans to protect North Atlantic right whales
The governor calls on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop practical protection rules that won t harm Maine s lobster industry.
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Maine Gov. Janet Mills said Monday she has “grave concern” about a federal plan aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, and warned that if the plan is adopted it could prove economically devastating to the state and endanger the Maine lobster fishery.
“The survival of Maine’s iconic lobster fishery, and in fact, our heritage, through the future of Maine’s independent lobstermen and women, depend on your willingness to act,” Mills wrote in a letter filed with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration on Feb. 19.
Mills expresses grave concern over plans to protect North Atlantic right whales centralmaine.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from centralmaine.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Canadian Space Agency using satellite data to track endangered right whales
Through the smartWhales initiative, the federal government is investing $5.3 million to enhance Canada’s ability to detect and monitor the presence of North Atlantic right whales in Canadian waters.
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The Canadian Press ·
Posted: Jan 27, 2021 11:20 AM ET | Last Updated: January 27
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium estimate less than 400 North Atlantic right whales remain.(Michael Dwyer/Canadian Press/AP)
The Canadian Space Agency is harnessing satellite technology to monitor and protect endangered North Atlantic right whales in the country s waters.
The agency said Tuesday it will lead a $5.3-million project funded by the federal government called smartWhales, which will use satellites to detect the presence of right whales and to predict the animals movements.
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The birthing season generally takes place in waters off the southern U.S. coast from December to March. This year scientists have recorded 13 successful births, although a 14th calf was found dead on a North Carolina beach in November.
Slow moving right whales are vulnerable to deadly ship strikes, even when ships are ordered to slow down ( NOAA-Florida Fish and Wildlfe Conservation Commission)
Scientists monitoring the species have been seeing a trend for females to start reproduction later while the interval between births has been getting longer as well. Sometimes up to ten years compared to three or four years in the past.