Breaking! U.S. House Committee Advances Legislation To Save Remaining 420 Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales From Extinction

The United States House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee approved H.R. 1568, The SAVE Right Whales Act during their first committee markup of the 116th Congress. H.R. 1568 now awaits a floor vote by the full chamber of the House of Representatives.

The bipartisan SAVE Right Whales Act, introduced in March 2019, would provide federal funding opportunities for collaborative efforts between states, non-governmental organizations and industry leaders to create and implement much-needed conservation efforts to protect the North Atlantic right whale.

The North Atlantic right whale traverses the waters of all 14 Atlantic coastal states and is a beloved species, especially in Massachusetts and Georgia, where it is recognized as the state marine mammal.

The species nevertheless is in serious jeopardy of going extinct.

“H.R. 1568, the SAVE Right Whales Act, provides vital federal funding to support the recovery of an endangered icon of the East Coast,” Cathy Liss, President of AWI said in a statement. “H.R. 1568 would allow for new and innovative research projects aimed at mitigating the greatest threats to right whales, entanglements in fishing gear and vessel collisions.”

As per Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), there are fewer than 420 North Atlantic Right Whales remaining in the wild. The species is currently listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act. From 1970 to 2009, 80% of 122 known right whale deaths were caused by man-made objects or human activities. We must work together to save them!