The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries has received $82 million in funding for the conservation and recovery of the endangered North Atlantic right whale, the agency announced Monday.
Threatened largely by fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes, along with various effects of climate change, North Atlantic right whales are considered to be one of the ocean’s most endangered species. With fewer than 350 individuals remaining, the whales have been experiencing an unusual mortality event since 2017.
In recent years, warming oceans and changes in food availability have forced right whales to alter their distribution patterns, resulting in the whales entering areas with less protection.
“The species has experienced a severe population decline that has underscored the urgency to take new and innovative actions for their recovery,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, in a recent press release. “This funding allows us to invest in technologies to reduce the risk of vessel strikes, increase the use of on-demand fishing gear, and improve enforcement of existing federal regulations.”
The funding, which marks the largest climate and conservation investment in history, was allocated under the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and allows NOAA to prioritize certain critical areas dedicated to mitigating impacts of climate change.
The $82 million will be allocated toward monitoring and computer modeling of Atlantic right whale distribution, reducing risks of vessel strikes, supporting new equipment and technology, and enforcing federal regulations.
NOAA says the organization plans on creating a new satellite-tagging monitoring program with high-resolution satellite artificial intelligence, in addition to launching advanced whale detection and avoidance technology, and activating passive acoustic monitoring systems along the U.S. East Coast.
The funds will complement the agency’s annual appropriations, which serve to support NOAA’s North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery — a regularly updated resource used to identify and address threats, and monitor the species’ recovery progress.
“This historic funding will allow NOAA Fisheries to make critical advancements in our work to save the endangered North Atlantic right whale species,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in Monday’s statement. “With $82 million of Inflation Reduction Act funding, we are making smart investments — a cornerstone of Bidenomics — to help address the crisis these whales are facing through innovative solutions that minimize the impact on workers in marine industries.”
On Wednesday, Gib Brogan, campaign director of the nonprofit Oceana, the largest international advocacy group dedicated to ocean conservation, responded to NOAA’s announcement, and told The Times that although the organization is encouraged by NOAA Fisheries’ new funding, swift action is critical if the right whale species is to be saved.
“While Oceana supports the additional funds for conservation efforts, what North Atlantic right whales need are on-the-water protections now,” he said. “Money only goes so far. We cannot study this problem and potential solutions for years while North Atlantic right whales decline toward extinction.”
Brogan also noted that the NOAA’s Vessel Speed Rule, meant to reduce the risk of ship strikes, is currently pending updates, which would be crucial for increasing right whale protections and facilitating the recovery of the species.
“NOAA must issue the final rule soon, and before calving season, to ensure mothers and calves are protected as they travel the East Coast,” he said. “We also encourage NOAA to immediately increase enforcement efforts of ship speed limits to protect these vulnerable whales. Time is running out for North Atlantic right whales, and they need actual protections — not money — now.”
