March 18, 2026 — U.S. lawmakers in Congress are continuing to prioritize spending to address ongoing issues between the New England lobster industry and the endangered North Atlantic right whale, a species whose habitat overlaps with valuable fishing grounds.
The North Atlantic right whale population – which began experiencing an “unusual mortality event” in 2017 – hit a low in 2020, when researchers estimated their population at just 358 individuals. The declining population triggered regulatory efforts to save the species and help it recover, but those efforts have clashed with the commercial fishing industry in the region, which has come under fire for entanglements and vessel strikes.