House Votes to Again Delay Life-Saving Protections for Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales
With only about 380 Whales left, ‘Extinction Bill’ heads to the Senate
Press Release Date: September 1, 2026
Location: Washington
Contact:
Megan Jordan | email: mjordan@oceana.org | tel: 202.868.4061
The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to pass H.R. 9436, which would further delay long-overdue protections for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales and further risk the species’ extinction.
With only about 380 North Atlantic right whales remaining, the bill would prevent any new protections to reduce deadly entanglements in fishing gear from going into effect until 2036. One of the biggest threats to North Atlantic right whales is the ropes and fishing lines that connect surface buoys to lobster traps and similar types of fishing gear. At least 31 North Atlantic right whales have been killed or injured due to entanglements in fishing gear since 2022 when Congress first delayed additional protections through 2028.
“This is an extinction bill – plain and simple,” said Senior Campaign Director Gib Brogan. “When a species is fighting for survival, you don’t keep kicking the can down the road for real protection, let alone a second time. These whales navigate through an ocean filled with over one million vertical fishing lines along their migration path. This bill could fast-track their extinction when proven tools to reduce entanglement risk, like time-area management and innovative gears, are available now. North Atlantic right whales don’t have time to wait they need these protections on the water now.”
“The Senate now has a choice: Senators can stand with science, responsible ocean management, and the overwhelming majority of Americans who want these whales to thrive, or they can stand by while an iconic species disappears from our waters. The Senate must stop this extinction bill and reject H.R. 9436,” said Brogan.
The National Marine Fisheries Service recently began the process for the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team — comprised of fishermen, scientists, conservationists, and government officials — to develop and recommend new measures to reduce whale entanglementsby 2029 when the current delay ends.
Background
North Atlantic right whales were a frequent target of whalers as they were often found near shore, swim slowly, and tend to float when killed. They were aggressively hunted, and their population dropped from peak estimates of up to 21,000 to perhaps fewer than 100 by the 1920s. After whaling of North Atlantic right whales was banned in 1935, their population increased to as many as 483 individuals in 2010. Unfortunately, that progress has reversed.
Entanglements in fishing gear used to catch lobster, crab, and other species is a leading cause of North Atlantic right whale deaths. Around one-quarter of the population is entangled in fishing gear from the United States and Canada each year, and about 85% have been entangled at least once. Ropes have been seen wrapped around their mouths, fins, tails, and bodies, which slow them down; make it difficult to swim, reproduce, and feed; and can cause death. The lines cut into the whales’ flesh, leading to life-threatening infections, and are so strong that they have severed fins and tails, and cut into bone.
Collisions with boats is another leading cause of North Atlantic right whale injury and death. They are slow, swimming at speeds less than 4 miles (or an average of 6 kilometers) per hour, usually near the water’s surface. They are also dark in color and lack a dorsal fin, making them very difficult to spot. Studies have found that the speed of a vessel is a major factor in vessel-related collisions with North Atlantic right whales. At high speeds, vessels cannot maneuver to avoid them, and these whales swim too slowly to be able to move out of the way. This puts them at great risk of being struck, which can cause deadly injuries from blunt-force trauma or cuts from propellers.
A national poll of American voters conducted in 2024 found that an overwhelming majority support stronger protections for North Atlantic right whales. The poll found that 86% of American voters agree that North Atlantic right whales should be protected from human-caused threats to help prevent their extinction, and 83% agree that ocean activities that endanger North Atlantic right whales, like shipping, boating, and vertical-line fishing, should be adapted to protect them.
Eight in ten respondents are in favor of the U.S. government making policy changes to save North Atlantic right whales from going extinct. Oceana’s poll, conducted by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®, surveyed 1,053 registered U.S. voters from June 28 to 30, 2024.
To learn more about Oceana’s binational campaign to save North Atlantic right whales, click here.
