Fishing groups push to postpone protections for endangered right whale to 2035
The North Atlantic right whale numbers only about 370 and has declined over the last 15 years. They have been the subject of proposed federal fishing laws that are backed by conservation groups because the whales are threatened by lethal entanglement in commercial fishing gear.
The federal government is in the midst of a pause on federal right whale rules until 2028. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine and a coalition of fishing organizations said in letters to congressional officials that they want to extend that moratorium out to 2035.
Golden, who played a role in the initial moratorium, said extending the pause would give the government the time it needs to craft regulations that reflect science. He also said it would protect Maine's lifesblood lobster fishing industry, which is one of the fishing sectors that would have to comply with rules intended to protect right whales.
'Maine's lobster fishery has most recently been valued at more than half a billion dollars — and that's just the value of the catch. It also supports tens of thousands of jobs. It is an iconic part of our state's economy, heritage and appeal to visitors,' Golden said in a July 22 letter to a subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee.
The extension of the moratorium was originally proposed by Alaska Republican Nick Begich. It's one of several changes to the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act proposed by Begich, who like Golden represents a state with a large commercial fishing industry.
The changes have drawn condemnation from environmental organizations and praise from commercial fishing groups. A group of fishing organizations including the Maine Lobstermen's Association said in a July 21 letter to the subcommittee that 'heavy regulation comes at a heavy cost.'
The whales were once numerous off the East Coast, but they were decimated during the era of commercial whaling and have been slow to recover. They are also threatened by collisions with large ships.
The population of the whales fell about 25% from 2010 to 2020.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Saquon Barkley 'shocked' to be named to Donald Trump's presidential sports council, says he won't be participating
President Donald Trump's White House announced on Aug. 1 first that Saquon Barkley would be a member of his newly formed council on sports, fitness, and nutrition. It appears that that was news to Barkley. Barkley said Monday that he was "shocked" that his name was included as a council member and that he will not be participating. The All-Pro Philadelphia Eagles running back addressed the subject with reporters at training camp Monday. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] "A couple of months ago, it was brought to my team about the council," Barkley said. "So, I'm not really too familiar with it. I felt like that I'm going to be super busy, so me and my family thought it probably was in our best interest to not accept that. "Was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned, but I'm assuming it's something great. So I appreciate it. But was a little shocked when my name was mentioned." The White House previously issued a news release about the council that named several prominent athletes and sports figures who would participate, Barkley included. "The council will include executive director Catherine Granito, chair Bryson DeChambeau, Saquon Barkley, Gary Bettman, Nick Bosa, Harrison Butker, Cody Campbell, Roger Goodell, Wayne Gretzky, Nelly Korda, Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Mariano Rivera, Tony Romo, Annika Sörenstam, Tua Tagovailoa, Lawrence Taylor, Matthew Tkachuk, and Mariano Rivera," the statement reads. None of the other athletes named have said that they won't be participating. Taylor and "Triple H" flanked Trump during a news conference addressing the council. Barkley, a three-time Pro Bowler who earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 during Philadelphia's run to the Super Bowl championship, has previously made public appearances with Trump. Barkley golfed with Trump in April in New Jersey, then flew with Trump to Washington D.C. and visited the White House ahead of the Eagles' official visit to commemorate their Super Bowl victory. Barkley's visit prompted criticism, to which he responded on social media that he respects the office of the president. "lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT, Barkley wrote. "Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago … and look forward to finishing my round with Trump! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Modi and Trump once called each other good friends. Now the US-India relationship is getting bumpy
NEW DELHI (AP) — They men shared bear hugs, showered praise on each other and made appearances side by side at stadium rallies — a big optics boost for two populist leaders with ideological similarities. Each called the other a good friend. In India, the bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump was seen as a relationship like no other. That is, until a series of events gummed up the works. From Trump's tariffs and India's purchase of oil from Russia to a U.S. tilt towards Pakistan, friction between New Delhi and Washington has been hard to miss. And much of it has happened far from the corridors of power and, unsurprisingly, through Trump's posts on social media. It has left policy experts wondering whether the camaraderie the two leaders shared may be a thing of the past, even though Trump has stopped short of referring to Modi directly on social media. The dip in rapport, some say, puts a strategic bilateral relationship built over decades at risk. 'This is a testing time for the relationship,' said Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India's Foreign Ministry. The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Simmering tensions over trade and tariffs The latest hiccup between India and the U.S. emerged last week when Trump announced that he was slapping 25% tariffs on India as well as an unspecified penalty because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. For New Delhi, such a move from its largest trading partner is expected to be felt across sectors, but it also led to a sense of unease in India — even more so when Trump, on social media, called India's economy 'dead.' Trump's recent statements reflect his frustration with the pace of trade talks with India, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal administration thinking. The Republican president has not been pursuing any strategic realignment with Pakistan, according to the official, but is instead trying to play hardball in negotiations. Trump doubled down on the pressure Monday with a fresh post on Truth Social, in which he accused India of buying 'massive amounts' of oil from Russia and then 'selling it on the Open Market for big profits.' 'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,' he said. The messaging appears to have stung Modi's administration, which has been hard-selling negotiations with Trump's team over a trade deal by balancing between India's protectionist system while also opening up the country's market to more American goods. Many expected India to react strongly considering Modi's carefully crafted reputation of strength. Instead, the announcement prompted a rather careful response from India's commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, who said the two countries are working towards a 'fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement.' India's Foreign Ministry also played down suggestions of any strain. However, experts in New Delhi wonder. 'Strenuous, uninterrupted and bipartisan efforts in both capitals over the past 25 years are being put at risk by not just the tariffs but by fast and loose statements and social media posts,' said Malik, who now heads the India chapter of The Asia Group, a U.S. advisory firm . Malik also said the trade deal the Indian side has offered to the U.S. is the 'most expansive in this country's history,' referring to reports that India was willing to open up to some American agricultural products. That is a politically sensitive issue for Modi, who faced a yearlong farmers' protest a few years ago. Trump appears to be tilting towards Pakistan The unraveling may have gained momentum over tariffs, but the tensions have been palpable for a while. Much of it has to do with Trump growing closer to Pakistan, India's nuclear rival in the neighborhood. In May, India and Pakistan traded a series of military strikes over a gun massacre in disputed Kashmir that New Delhi blamed Islamabad for. Pakistan denied the accusations. The four-day conflict made the possibility of a nuclear conflagration between the two sides seem real and the fighting only stopped when global powers intervened. But it was Trump's claims of mediation and an offer to work to provide a 'solution' regarding the dispute over Kashmir that made Modi's administration uneasy. Since then, Trump has repeated nearly two dozen times that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan. For Modi, that is a risky — even nervy — territory. Domestically, he has positioned himself as a leader who is tough on Pakistan. Internationally, he has made huge diplomatic efforts to isolate the country. So Trump's claims cut a deep wound, prompting a sense in India that the U.S. may no longer be its strategic partner. India insists that Kashmir is India's internal issue and had opposed any third-party intervention. Last week Modi appeared to dismiss Trump's claims after India's Opposition began demanding answers from him. Modi said that 'no country in the world stopped' the fighting between India and Pakistan, but he did not name Trump. Trump has also appeared to be warming up to Pakistan, even praising its counterterrorism efforts. Hours after levying tariffs on India, Trump announced a 'massive' oil exploration deal with Pakistan, saying that some day, India might have to buy oil from Islamabad. Earlier, he also hosted one of Pakistan's top military officials at a private lunch. Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an expert at New Delhi's Jindal School of International Affairs, said Trump's sudden admiration for Pakistan as a great partner in counterterrorism has 'definitely soured' the mood in India. Chaulia said 'the best-case scenario is that this is just a passing Trump whim,' but he also warned that 'if financial and energy deals are indeed being struck between the U.S. and Pakistan, it will dent the U.S.-India strategic partnership and lead to loss of confidence in the U.S. in Indian eyes.' India's oil purchases from Russia are an irritant The strain in relations has also to do with oil. India had faced strong pressure from the Biden administration to cut back its oil purchases from Moscow during the early months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Instead, India bought more, making it the second-biggest buyer of Russian oil after China. That pressure sputtered over time and the U.S. focused more on building strategic ties with India, which is seen as a bulwark against a rising China. Trump's threat to penalize India over oil, however, brought back those issues. On Sunday, the Trump administration made its frustrations over ties between India and Russia ever more public. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, accused India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, saying it was 'not acceptable.' Some experts, though, suspect Trump's remarks are mere pressure tactics. 'Given the wild fluctuations in Trump's policies,' Chaulia said, 'it may return to high fives and hugs again.' ___ Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed reporting. Sheikh Saaliq And Rajesh Roy, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gentherm Announces Participation in J.P. Morgan Auto Conference and Seaport Annual Summer Investor Conference
NOVI, Mich., Aug. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gentherm (NASDAQ: THRM), a global market leader of innovative thermal management and pneumatic comfort technologies, today announced that it is scheduled to participate in the following upcoming investor events in the third quarter of 2025. J.P. Morgan Auto Conference in New York City Bill Presley, President and CEO, and Jon Douyard, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, will participate in a fireside chat on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. The fireside chat will begin at 11:50 a.m. (ET) and last for approximately 35 minutes. There will be a live audio webcast of the fireside chat and a replay will be available for 30 days following the presentation on the Events page of the Investor Relations section of Gentherm's website at: In addition, Gentherm management will be hosting investors at the upcoming Seaport Research Partners Annual Summer Investor Conference on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. Please note that event participation and specific dates are subject to change. For the latest information, please visit the Gentherm Investor Relations website. Investor Contact Gregory Blanchetteinvestors@ 248.308.1702 Media Contact Melissa Fischer media@ 248.289.9702 About Gentherm Gentherm (NASDAQ: THRM) is a global market leader of innovative thermal management and pneumatic comfort technologies. Automotive products include Climate Control Seats (CCS®), Climate Control Interiors (CCI™), Lumbar and Massage Comfort Solutions, and Valve Systems. Medical products include patient temperature management systems. The Company is also developing a number of new technologies and products that will help enable improvements to existing products and to create new product applications for existing and new markets. Gentherm has more than 14,000 employees in facilities across 13 countries. In 2024, the company recorded annual sales of approximately $1.5 billion and secured $2.4 billion in automotive new business awards. For more information, go to in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
