We shouldn’t have to choose between protecting our planet and our workers

Right whales are a national treasure, the pride of New Englanders, and sometimes companions of boaters and beachgoers. And as you know, they are also critically endangered.

These creatures live in a highly urbanized ocean area, where miles of fishing line are common along their foraging areas and migratory routes. When right whales get entangled in these lines, the ropes get tightly wrapped around different body parts, causing stress and sometimes preventing them from feeding or reaching the surface for air.

Entanglements in these lines are the leading cause of death for the right whale.

While new, safer fishing methods are available, the transition is costly. Fishing industry workers also need to earn a living. If we expect lobstermen and women to cover the costs of all new equipment, we could be spelling economic doom for many hardworking Americans.

The Stewarding Atlantic Fisheries Ecosystems by Supporting Economic Assistance and Sustainability (SAFE SEAS) Act of 2022 (S.3765) will help lobstermen and women with the financial burden of this transition by authorizing grant assistance to help cover the costs of compliance. This bipartisan bill aims to help lobstermen and women with the financial burden of using new trap lines that will no longer entangle whales or others.

We shouldn't have to choose between protecting our planet and our workers. Sign the petition and tell Congress to pass the SAFE SEAS Act now!

The $1.7 trillion spending package recently passed by Congress at the end of the year included a six-year pause on regulations for the lobster and Jonah crab fisheries to reduce the risk of right whale entanglement in trap pot lines. The retracting trap lines with buoys activated to the surface by the lobsterman's cell phone require more time for development and production. This pause makes the SAFE SEAS Act even more urgent.

The SAFE SEAS Act is vitally needed because it will expedite the deployment of line-less lobster pots, will help prevent increasing the cost of lobsters, and will free boat operators from having to steer around lobster pots to avoid propellor entanglements.

The SAFE SEAS Act recognizes that it is in all of our interests to protect right whales, a national treasure and keystone species in Cape Cod Bay and sandy shore ecosystems. Sign the petition and tell Congress to pass this bill!

Ocean conservation is critical. We must continue to advocate for practical solutions to protect the right whale. Together, we can save this beautiful mammal.

Rob