Rep. Golden Seeks Ten Years Before New Right Whale Rules Take Effect

Carrie Jones

Jul 23, 2026

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop.

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MAINE—Additional protections for right whales—an endangered species in the North Atlantic Ocean—could be delayed for approximately a decade after Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine)’s legislation has gained support from President Donald Trump’s administration. Last week that proposed legislation received approval from the House Natural Resource Committee.

Rep. Golden and Rep Mike Lawler (R-NY) jointly introduced a bill that would delay new rules. If enacted, it would extend the moratorium on new rules until 2035.

Rep. Golden has said this gives scientists more time to collect data on how to protect whales.

“I’m grateful to Rep. Lawler and my colleagues on the Committee for a strong show of bipartisan support for Maine lobstermen. In 2022, Congress enacted this regulatory pause and funded new efforts to gather information to support a data-driven process establishing rules that made sense for both the fishermen and the whales. But today the rulemaking process is behind schedule for reasons that have nothing to do with Maine fishermen. At the same time, those charged with gathering the necessary data say more time is needed to ensure regulations can incorporate the best available science. Mainers are not asking for much. We just need more time,” Golden said in a press release, July 15.

In his weekly newsletter, July 17, Golden wrote, “This bill builds on a current regulatory pause that runs through 2028, which Congress passed with support from the entire Maine delegation and Gov. Janet Mills. This pause funded new efforts to gather information to aid a data-driven process establishing rules that made sense for both the fishermen and the whales.”

Maine Lobstering Union Local 207 Director Virginia Olsen testified, “A thoughtful extension would allow for the development of effective, enforceable, and economically realistic regulations that protect both the North Atlantic right whale and the people whose lives depend on these waters. We remain committed to being part of the solution and to working collaboratively toward outcomes that ensure a sustainable future for all.”

According to NOAA fisheries, “The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species.”

Earlier this month, The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) sued the Trump Administration to learn more about rolling back a vessel speed limit that’s meant to protect the whales.

“The public has a right to know who’s behind a government process that could condemn these whales to extinction,” CBD Oceans Legal Director Kristen Monsell said in a press release. “Right whales are facing threats from all directions, and the speed rule is one of their few protections. Federal officials should be making decisions based on science and forward thinking, not industry cronyism and short-term profits at the expense of the ocean’s future.”

There are approximately 380 North Atlantic right whales currently alive. Animal rights groups and others worry that any additional delay in protecting the whales with new rules is a death sentence for the species, which often drown after being struck by a boat or entangled in commercial fishing gear.

Rules have been paused via a moratorium since 2022 during President Joe Biden’s administration.

Commercial fishing industries in New England coastal states have said that the conservation measures they follow are already restrictive and comprehensive when compared to the rest of the world. Additional prohibitions could end the fisheries, they’ve warned. The current rules, they have said, are enough.

According to Rep. Golden’s release, “Two parallel but related processes related to crafting new rules for the protection of North Atlantic right whales are both behind schedule: Layoffs at NOAA and government shutdowns have delayed the start of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team’s regulatory process, reducing the timeline for developing fishery management proposals. Meanwhile, scientists and researchers at Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR) say more time is needed to ensure relevant data is available to inform the rulemaking process.”

“We are still gathering various types of data, and we anticipate that several of these data streams will not be able to be incorporated into decision-support tools due to the compressed timeline for rulemaking,” wrote Maine DMR Commissioner Carl Wilson in a letter supporting H.R. 9436. “An extension of the pause would ensure that there is time to incorporate this information, and that rulemaking is based on the best available science.”

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association, Maine Lobstering Union Local 207, Maine Lobster Advisory Council, New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, New Hampshire Commercial Fisherman’s Association, and Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association also testified in favor of the bill.

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LINKS TO LEARN MORE

Text of the legislation is available here. Video of Congressman Golden’s remarks before the Committee is here.

NOAA’s page about the whales is here.

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