May 2, 2019 — The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee approved the Scientific Assitance for Very Endangered (SAVE) Right Whales Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, on 1 May.
The bipartisan bill was introduced back in March, and is directed at additional funding – up to up to USD 5 million (EUR 4.47 million) each year for 10 years – to research methods of rebuilding the population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Some of the grant money would go towards developing new commercial fishing gear, in order to prevent entanglements which have already killed multiple whales.
“We humans have nearly killed every right whale in existence through our direct and indirect actions over the past two centuries.” Moulton said. “Now we have a choice: We can be the generation that brings the right whale back, or the generation that allows their extinction.”