CA M PA I G N U P DAT E
SOS! MEMBERS RALLY TO SAVE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED WHALES
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A powerful array of forces is lining up in stiff opposition to stronger whale protections. Chief among them: the oil and gas industry.
Clockwise from top left: Their majestic size belying their vulnerability, fewer than 340 North Atlantic right whales today struggle to survive; A female Gulf of Mexico whale killed by a ship strike off the Florida coast; More than 20 percent of Gulf of Mexico whales were lost because of the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
of surviving a strike by up to 90 percent. Currently the National Marine Fisheries Service is weighing strong new vessel speed restrictions to protect North Atlantic right whales, and NRDC has petitioned the agency to do the same for Gulf of Mexico whales. We’re also advocating for the swift deployment of federal funds to address another major threat to North Atlantic right whales, entanglement in fishing gear, and calling for a historic investment to fuel a rapid transition to whale-saving ropeless fishing gear. For wildlife advocates such as Kershaw, it can be difficult to describe the experience of seeing great whales for the first time. Although the animals’ size
often invites comparison to material objects of similar scale—a 30-ton Gulf of Mexico whale weighs as much as a large fire truck, for example— such comparisons do nothing to capture the magical quality of witnessing these amazing creatures in their natural environment. “The sheer size and majesty—you get this sense of tremendous power, especially when they breach,” says Kershaw. “But there’s also such grace in the way they move; it’s breathtaking.” Hard to believe, then, that there would be anyone fighting against saving these awe-inspiring animals. Yet a powerful array of industry forces is lining up in stiff opposition to stronger whale protections.
Chief among them: the oil and gas industry. Nowhere is that truer than in the home of the Gulf of Mexico whale, which has been described as one of the most endangered whales on earth. Just two years ago, scientists determined that these 40-foot-long animals—also known as the Rice’s whale—are an entirely distinct species that has evolved through isolation in the gulf. In fact, unlike other great whales such as the North Atlantic right whale, which makes a thousand-mile-long offshore trek from Canada to Florida each year, Gulf of Mexico whales don’t migrate. “As far as we know, they’re entirely dependent on a narrow band of ocean habitat that runs along the continental shelf break in the gulf from Florida to Texas,” explains Michael Jasny, director of our Marine Mammal Protection Project. “And unfortunately that’s the epicenter for offshore oil and gas development.” The industry has already exacted a horrific toll on the whales. Scientists estimate that more than 20 percent of these ultra-rare animals were lost because of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which unleashed tens of millions of gallons of crude oil into the gulf. But in its reckless pursuit of more climate-destroying fossil fuels, the oil and gas industry is dead set against slowing down—literally. [Continued on next page.]
PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: BRIAN SKERRY; NOAA; U.S. COAST GUARD.
t's been more than 40 years since the international community came together to impose a historic ban on commercial whaling. Yet even as whales continue to struggle to recover from more than a century of being hunted to the brink of extinction, these gentle giants are being dogged by other industry threats. Few whale species are in as dire need of protection as two that call U.S. waters home: the North Atlantic right whale and Gulf of Mexico whale. Fewer than 340 North Atlantic right whales exist today, and a mere 50 or so Gulf of Mexico whales are clinging to survival. “With numbers as low as these, every individual whale counts,” says Francine Kershaw, a senior scientist with NRDC’s Marine Mammal Protection Project. Kershaw and her colleagues have been sounding the alarm about the plight of both whale species— and NRDC Members and online activists have responded in droves. Tens of thousands have called on the Biden administration to reject industry influence and issue urgent safeguards for the whales before it’s too late. (You can make your voice heard too! See Take Action on next page.) Among the leading threats to both species is being struck by fast-moving ships. It was a fact tragically underscored in June 2020 when a male North Atlantic right whale calf just a few months old was discovered dead off the coast of New Jersey. In addition to the propeller wounds and other injuries that officials determined likely caused the young calf’s death, the body showed evidence that he had suffered at least one other serious ship strike in his short life. Since then, two other calves are known to have been struck and killed, along with one of their mothers. If the solution to this lethal threat seems straightforward, it is: Slow the ships down. Indeed, studies of North Atlantic right whales and other, similar species have shown that reducing vessel speeds to 10 knots or less can boost a whale’s chances