"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Thursday finalized their strategy on the protection of endangered North Atlantic right whales in the offshore wind power development process.

The Biden administration has set a goal for generating 30 gigawatts of wind power offshore of the United States by 2030. However, conservationists have raised concerns about these efforts’ potential risks to North Atlantic right whales.

Populations of the whale were severely depleted by the whaling industry in the 19th century, and they still face a number of hazards, including vessel strikes, entanglement in fishing equipment and climate-related depletion of their habitats and food supply.

Only about 360 of the whales are believed to be left, of which only 70 are females capable of giving birth. Even the loss of a single whale in one year could disrupt the species’ capacity to sustainably reproduce."

Zack Budryk reports for The Hill January 25, 2024. [2]