Federal Government Withdraws Proposal to Protect Endangered Whales

The federal government has withdrawn a proposal to require more ships to slow down in East Coast waters to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale. The Trump administration is likely to be less enthusiastic about new restrictions on shipping. Conservation groups have long argued that tighter ship speed rules are necessary to protect the whales. The whales migrate from their calving grounds off Florida and Georgia to feeding grounds off New England and Canada. The journey has become increasingly perilous as the tiny organisms they eat seek colder waters, causing the whales to leave established protected areas. Whales are at the top of the ocean's food chain and they help capture carbon from the atmosphere. The right whale is among six out of the 13 great whale species that are classified as endangered or vulnerable. Conservation groups that have pushed for the finalization of slower ship speed rules said they were motivated in part by documented collision deaths of right whales in recent years.