PORTLAND, Maine (AP)-America’s lobster fishery is getting close to the date when it will have to contend with new rules designed to try to save a species of whale from extinction.
The North Atlantic right whale numbers only about 360, and scientists have said the animal’s small population of breeding females could spell doom for the species.
The National Marine Fisheries Service is developing new rules to reduce the possibility of entanglement in fishing gear, which can kill the whales.
A court decision required the fisheries service to finalize the rules by May 31. A spokesperson says the agency is on track to produce the final rules on time.
Lobster fishing groups have said overly restrictive rules could put them out of business. Many environmentalists, meanwhile, have said the proposed rules don’t go far enough.
By Patrick Whittle, Associated Press
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