Action Alerts

We need stronger protections for North Atlantic right whales

What's At Stake

With approximately 350 North Atlantic right whales remaining in the world — and fewer than 100 breeding females — this critically endangered marine mammal could be facing extinction as early as 2040. Unless we act now.

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The Right Whale Coexistence Act is important legislation that would support the recovery of the iconic and critically endangered North Atlantic right whale by providing funding to help reduce the primary causes of right whale deaths: entanglement and vessel collisions. The steps taken to date to regulate United States fishing and shipping industries and address these conflicts have been insufficient to reduce risks, especially in the face of rapid shifts in right whale habitat use caused by climate change.

Urge your member of Congress to show their support for innovative solutions that harness the power of government, science, and industry to protect these whales and secure their recovery.

This bill comes at a pivotal point in the fight to save the North Atlantic right whale from extinction. Fifty whales, including three calves, are known to have been killed or seriously injured since 2017, and the true number of deaths may be three times higher. Without immediate and concerted conservation action to address entanglement and vessel strikes, we could lose this iconic species for good.

A North Atlantic right whale swims with its calf.
A North Atlantic right whale swims with its calf. (Photo Courtesy of NOAA)

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Your Actions Matter

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