<
https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/for-lobster-industry-82m-right-whale-study-grant-is-a-hopeful-sign>
"The federal government recently announced it would invest $82 million in
technology that may help save the endangered North Atlantic right whale —
without resorting to cutbacks in Maine's lobster fishery.
A lobstering leader said the funding is a hopeful sign for the survival of both
the whale and the industry.
“The right whale conservation plan cannot effectively balance the conservation
of right whales with commercial fisheries and shipping interests without a
better understanding of where and when these whales are most at risk,” Patrice
McCarron, policy director for the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, told
Mainebiz.
The association, she continued, has long been a champion of dedicating
additional resources to right whale tagging and monitoring activities.
“MLA is hopeful that more robust data will replace the government’s overly
pessimistic assumptions and provide a more accurate assessment of risk,” she
said. “The MLA is committed to working with our members to ensure that the
Maine lobster fishery continues to pose minimal risk to right whales.”
U.S. Department of Commerce and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced the funding last week. It is part of a $2.6 billion framework to
invest in coastal resilience that NOAA announced earlier this year.
North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction with fewer than 350
individuals remaining, including fewer than 70 females who are reproductively
active.
The goal of the money is to address the primary threats to the species —
entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes — with new technologies and
approaches, including innovative solutions that minimize the impact on workers
in marine industries, according to a news release."
Via
Future Crunch:
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-net-zero-rhinos-africa-maternal-asia/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
