Cancel NOAA’s "Fisherman in Residence"

The North Atlantic right whale is on the brink of extinction. Fewer than 400 remain. Scientists warn that without immediate, stronger protections, these whales could vanish within our lifetime.

NOAA’s job is clear: recover endangered species and steward our oceans using the best available science.

So why is the agency creating a brand-new “Fisherman in Residence” position — and filling it with a lobster fisherman — at the very moment it should be laser-focused on preventing right whale extinction?

Lobster fishing gear, especially vertical trap lines, is one of the leading causes of serious injury and death for right whales. Entanglements can leave whales dragging heavy gear for months, causing deep wounds, starvation, infection, and slow, agonizing deaths. NOAA is legally obligated under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act to reduce these deadly risks and recover the species.

Creating an internal role specifically for a representative of the very industry NOAA must regulate is unnecessary — and deeply concerning.

Fishermen already have multiple avenues to provide input on federal policy, from regional fishery management councils to formal public comment processes. NOAA does not need a special in-house industry advocate. What it needs is stronger enforcement, faster implementation of whale-safe fishing technologies like ropeless/on-demand gear, and decisive action to protect critical habitat.

At a time when right whale births are down, and mortality remains high, every ounce of NOAA’s energy should be directed toward fulfilling its core mission — not experimenting with roles that blur the line between regulator and industry.

Right whales don’t have a “whale in residence” inside NOAA. They depend entirely on the agency to act in their best interest.

NOAA must eliminate the unnecessary “Fisherman in Residence” position and refocus on what truly matters: preventing extinction and ensuring the recovery of one of the world’s most endangered great whales.

Add your name: Demand NOAA put science first and scrap this misguided role before it’s too late.

The petition to NOAA reads: The North Atlantic right whale is on the brink of extinction, yet NOAA has created an unnecessary “Fisherman in Residence” role and filled it with a lobster fisherman whose industry’s gear is a leading cause of deadly whale entanglements. This position creates a clear conflict and distracts from NOAA’s core responsibility to recover endangered species. Scrap this role immediately and refocus on protecting right whales before it’s too late.

Sources:

https://democrats-naturalresources.house.gov/media/press-releases/committee-democrats-probe-new-fisherman-in-residence-role-at-noaa

https://www.eenews.net/articles/democrats-question-noaa-fisherman-in-residence/