Protecting Ocean Ecosystems
A Victory for North Atlantic Right Whales
In a major win for endangered North Atlantic right whales, a federal judge ruled that gillnet fishing gear must be removed from 3,000 nautical miles of ocean waters in southern New England. CLF sued the federal government last year for opening up two areas south and east of Nantucket to expanded fishing without considering harm to right whales. Opening these areas put dangerous gear in the middle of a right whale hotspot. It also violated the Endangered Species Act and our federal fisheries law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act. … More Info
Behind the Catch
(Over)Fisheries: The Ripple Effects of Overharvesting
This is the fourth and final blog in our series, Behind the Catch, in which we’ll explore New England’s waters and fisheries from a scientific perspective. By examining the region’s fundamental ecology, we can better discuss and tackle marine conservation issues. … More Info
In the News
Fish Talk in the News – Friday, November 1
In this week’s Fish Talk in the News, two court victories for endangered right whales; NOAA Fisheries reopens the Clam Dredge Framework public comment period; Senators Markey and Sullivan introduce bipartisan legislation to improve the health of oceans; and Maine lobster catches are down this season. … More Info
Behind the Catch
Ghouls, Goblins, and Garbage: Plastic Pollution in Marine Environments
Halloween is for dressing up, carving pumpkins, and eating spooky amounts of candy. Unfortunately, lots of candy means lots of unrecyclable wrappers, and lots of unrecyclable wrappers contribute to the 17.6 billion pounds of plastic that enter our oceans annually. … More Info
In the News
Fish Talk in the News – Friday, October 18
In this week’s Fish Talk in the News, Rep. Cunningham introduces the Climate-Ready Fisheries Act of 2019; another outside crab species turns up in Maine waters; Cape shark study finds ‘no silver bullet solutions’; a UMass Amherst study looks at ‘name bias’ in seafood; and Maine proposes a right whale protection plan. … More Info
