Tell Congress to protect communities, our oceans, endangered whale species!

Two deeply endangered whales are under attack by Republicans.

Republicans are opposing protections for both the Rice’s whale and Right whales. These peaceful creatures inhabit the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic, respectively. But offshore drilling and ship strikes are pushing them further toward extinction.

Protections for whales benefit people. For example, safeguarding Rice’s whale habitat could help phase down harmful offshore drilling – the kind that has caused devastating spills in the Gulf before.

We need your help to STOP the Republican attempts to strip protections from these endangered animals – and by extension our coastal communities.

Dear Legislator,

I am writing to urge you to oppose any efforts to weaken or halt protections for Rice’s whales or North Atlantic right whales – especially any amendments attached to must-pass legislation such as the National Defense Authorization Act. Both whales are endangered and at serious risk of extinction.

The Rice’s whale is endemic to the Gulf Coast and with an estimated fewer than 50 individuals left, it’s one of the most rare animals on the plant. Therefore, it’s crucial we do not allow oil and gas drilling to drive these creatures even closer to extinction.

Proposed language in a 2024 NDAA policy rider would prohibit the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from issuing expanded protections for the Rice’s whale and block the agency and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from issuing vessel strike protections.

Please do all you can to protect our federal ocean waters and species from dirty and dangerous offshore drilling. After the Exxon-Valdez, Taylor Oil, and Deepwater Horizon disasters, it’s clear that offshore drilling will inevitably result in another catastrophe and undoing protections for the Rice’s whale increases the likelihood of such a catastrophe.

North Atlantic right whales are one of the most endangered whales in the world, with only around 340 individuals left. But there are recent, extreme attempts in Congress to halt essential improvements to NOAA rules to protect North Atlantic right whales from being hit by ships. I am asking you to oppose dangerous, unnecessary carveouts of whale protections during this Congress.

Proposed legislation would gut necessary expansions of NOAA safeguards to reduce the risk of vessels hitting whales without proposing a common sense alternative. Last year, Congress enacted a six-year freeze on rules to protect whales from the other top threat: entanglement in fishing gear. Further weakening NOAA’s authority to take needed action under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act to reduce whale deaths could spell extinction for this entire species.

The North Atlantic right whale has been in nonstop decline for over a decade. If as few as one whale per year dies from human causes, the species will not be able to recover. Collisions with vessels are one of the two leading causes of injury and death for the species. Since 2008, at least 12 whales have died or been seriously injured from being struck by vessels in U.S. waters, including five whale deaths from smaller vessels. The most effective way to stop ships from hitting North Atlantic right whales is by slowing vessels down in areas and seasons that are vital to the species — just what NOAA has proposed.

NOAA’s proposed rule requires both seasonal and temporary speed limits for vessels and uses sound science to determine when whales are expected to pass through each area. Almost all of these “slow zones” (except a smaller zone near Nantucket and Georges Bank that runs through the end of June) would not impact U.S. boaters between Memorial Day and Labor Day – the most popular boating months – as most of the whales are in Canada at those times. These temporary slowdowns for ships are only applicable a few months a year and will have no effect on boats under 35 feet in length. These improvements to existing rules will be key to reducing whale deaths and preventing the rapid extinction of this species.

That’s why I am calling on you to fight against any and all attempts that would lead to the extinction of these species.

Sincerely

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