Take Action: Keep Ship Speed Limits to Save Right Whales!

Keep the ship speed limits until the right whale has replenished its population!

Keep Ship Speed Limits to Save Right Whales!

Goal: 15,000 • Progress: 11,998

Sponsored by: The Animal Rescue Site

Imagine there are only 400 human beings left on Earth. It's a startling image. When put into perspective, it's easy to see why the plight of the 400 right whales still living is so dire.

North Atlantic right whales spend their lives between the Gulf of Maine and off the coasts of Georgia and Florida. But because this channel is also a popular area for shipping commerce, ships and right whales have found it increasingly unyielding to coexist peacefully.

In fact, ship strikes can account for a considerable portion of right whale deaths in the past years. In 2008, speed limits were put in place so that deaths would be less likely to occur due to reckless endangerment. Despite the downturn in right whale deaths, these speed limits are set to expire in December 2013.

Write to the National Marine Fisheries Service asking that the speed limits are kept until the right whale has replenished its population and is no longer endangered.

Dear National Marine Fisheries Service:

As the agency responsible for "the stewardship of the nation's living marine resources and their habitat," you have the power to save the North Atlantic Right Whale from further endangerment and eventually, extinction.

As you know, there are only about 400 right whales in existence right now. Much of the depletion of this precious species can be attributed to human interference — in fact more than three deaths in 2011 were as a result of shipping strikes. It's an alarming figure, but the fact that humans have much to do with this plight is also encouraging; we can do something about it.

In 2008, ship speed limits were imposed for the breeding grounds which right whales call home. But these limits are set to expire in December 2013 — no doubt too soon for the right whale to replenish its population.

Please extend the ship speed limits until the right whale has once again reached healthy numbers. Don't allow your agency to be responsible for the extinction of this beautiful species.

Thank you.