To Right Whales: Unhappy Anniversary to You! Signed, The Bush Administration

Plymouth, MA

Dear Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales: 

Today marks the one-year anniversary of our office, The Office of Management and Budget, delaying the release of a rule to slow vessel traffic down in key areas of your habitat along the east coast of the United States. Yes, we know that you’ve been waiting for this for more than four years and this process started with the National Marine Fisheries Service back in 2004.  We know that the loss of even one of you per year could push you toward extinction and we’re aware that since 2004 at least nine of your kind has died as a result of vessel strikes.   We acknowledge that there are fewer than 400 of you remaining and that vessel strikes, along with entanglements, are threatening your survival as a species. We realize this rule would not only afford you protection but also result in decreased emissions and be environmentally sound.   We even realize we are not following our own rules and should have released this rule at least 9 months ago.  And yet, while we can’t really justify why we have continued to jeopardize your existence, we have been meeting, out of the public process, with shipping interests and we are currently celebrating the one-year delay of affording you protection from vessel strikes. 

Unhappy Anniversary To You!