Days ago, another whale was found killed as a result of attempting to swim through the tangled mess of fishing gear that sits just beneath the surface waters of Casco Bay.

This is just the most recent example of a tragic, and fully preventable, whale death on Mainers’ watch. Fishing gear is one of the two gravest threats to whales, including the critically endangered right whale, of with only about 360 remain. The other top threat to their survival is ship strikes.

While we sit watching this string of bad news for whales, capped off with the death of this humpback seen only days before alive and well, NOAA is finalizing its new, urgently needed, vessel speed rule. The rule, which won’t impact Maine’s waters, will enact slow zones along known migratory routes, where and when they are necessary and apply to more ships than existing rules.

Our congressional and state political leaders effectively nullified any opportunity we had to act with urgency to research solutions for the coexistence of fisheries in Maine waters and the health and survival of whale species therein, they therefore must now support NOAA and its efforts to finalize the vessel speed rule as soon as possible. Maine’s congressional delegation must support and defend the rule against those in Congress who wish to undercut it.
All other roads lead to extinction for the right whale, and a catastrophically dangerous existence for the other whale species fighting for survival.

Sarah Perry
Falmouth