Feds Announce New Fishery Regulations to Protect Right Whales

NOAA Fisheries announced new regulations for lobster and crab fisheries Tuesday, but environmental groups say the rules don’t go far enough to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Vessel operators will be barred from fishing with traps or pots using buoy lines off the coast of Maine between October and January, under the final rule. The ban, which comes during peak lobster fishing season, will go into effect within 30 days of the rule’s publication in the Federal Register, the agency says. An estimated 62 vessels will be impacted by the closure, the agency says.

Vessel operators face similar ...