November 17, 2021 (BOSTON, MA) — The First Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday reinstated a seasonal prohibition on lobster fishing with buoy lines in an area roughly 30 nautical miles off the coast of Maine after an emergency motion was filed by environmental groups. The National Marine Fisheries Service implemented the prohibition to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from deadly entanglements in lobster gear.
“We’re thrilled right whales will get at least some relief from deadly lobster gear,” said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The court recognized that entanglements pose an existential threat to right whales and that federal officials followed the science in implementing this important conservation measure. But the agency needs to do more to protect this incredibly vulnerable species from extinction.”
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“We’re thrilled right whales will get at least some relief from deadly lobster gear,” said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The court recognized that entanglements pose an existential threat to right whales and that federal officials followed the science in implementing this important conservation measure. But the agency needs to do more to protect this incredibly vulnerable species from extinction.”
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