H.R. 1568 — what changed
Scientific Assistance for Very Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Act of 2019
From Introduced in House to Reported in House. 1 section amended and 2 removed between Introduced in House and Reported in House.
Sec. 2 Findings; sense of Congress
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Findings— Congress finds that—
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North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are critically endangered, with no more than 425 whales remaining at the time of the introduction of this Act;
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historically, the North Atlantic right whale population was decimated by the whaling industry;
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despite protection from whaling beginning in the 1930s, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered whales in the world and has experienced a significant decline since 2010;
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the North Atlantic right whale has been listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 (Public Law 89–669; 80 Stat. 926) and its successor the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) since 1970 and is designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.);
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because North Atlantic right whales are long-lived and highly migratory, and at present rates females give birth to a single calf only once every 4 to 10 years, they are highly vulnerable to the impacts of human activity and habitat degradation;
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North Atlantic right whales frequently cross paths with major shipping lanes and fishing grounds, leaving the whales particularly vulnerable to vessel collisions and fishing gear entanglements, the 2 leading causes of injury and death to the species;
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even when North Atlantic right whales do not die as a result of fishing gear entanglement, those whales can still experience significant sub-lethal effects such as chronic stress and reproductive failure;
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in August 2017, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced an Unusual Mortality Event involving North Atlantic right whales in 2017, with 17 known whale deaths that year alone;
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an Unusual Mortality Event involves a significant die-off of a population and, according to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), demands an immediate response;
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based on the current rate of mortality of North Atlantic right whales, and because of the small number of breeding females in the population and low birth rates, recent analysis suggests the species will lose its ability to recover in merely a few decades if human-caused mortality is not reduced immediately;
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under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), United States fishermen in certain locations have been required to modify their fishing gear and behavior to minimize the likelihood of entanglements, including by using sinking groundlines, having weak links in buoy lines, using multiple traps per buoy, appropriately marking fishing gear, and complying with area closures during North Atlantic right whale migrations;
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vessels in United States waters that are 65 feet or more in length have been required to comply with a 10-knot speed limit in certain locations during North Atlantic right whale migrations to reduce the threat of vessel collisions; and
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North Atlantic right whales are now migrating farther north into Canadian waters and in 2017 there were at least 12 North Atlantic right whale deaths in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence, in addition to the 8 documented deaths in United States waters in 2017 and 2018.
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Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that—
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the Governments of the United States and Canada must work together to reduce lethal and sub-lethal effects of human activities on North Atlantic right whales; and
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effectively addressing the threats to the long-term viability of the North Atlantic right whales will require a joint commitment and effort from government entities, local communities, marine scientists and conservationists, fishermen, owners and operators of passenger vessels and others in the shipping industry, and other stakeholders.
Sec. 3 Purposes
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The purposes of this Act are the following:
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To rebuild healthy populations of the North Atlantic right whale.
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To assist in the conservation and protection of North Atlantic right whales by supporting North Atlantic right whale conservation programs that minimize conflicts between North Atlantic right whales and human activities.
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To provide financial resources for those programs.
Sec. 201 Survey
In general— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and on an ongoing basis thereafter, the Secretary of Commerce shall conduct a continuous plankton recorder survey.
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Required elements— For the purpose of conducting the survey required under subsection (a), the Northeast Fisheries Science Center Secretary of Commerce shall—
to the extent possible, utilize the resources of and partner with, on a volunteer basis, research institutions, nonprofit organizations, commercial vessels, and other Federal agencies;
in as short a time as possible, ensure relevant survey samples and results are analyzed, stored, archived, and made publicly available;
prioritize the collection of plankton samples and data that inform the conservation of North Atlantic right whales; and
to the extent practicable, coordinate with the Government of Canada to develop a transboundary understanding of plankton abundance and distribution.
Authorization of Appropriations— To carry out this section there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce $300,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2029.