NOAA Fisheries has determined that oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico could drive Rice’s whale to extinction, unless regulators take new precautionary measures.
The agency released its revised biological opinion on 209 May, one day before a court-ordered deadline. The 677-page biological opinion replaces the old analysis, which a federal judge tossed out in 2024 for violating the Endangered Species Act.
There are only a few dozen Rice’s whales left in the Gulf, which is their only habitat. NOAA Fisheries said its proposal, if followed, would make lethal vessel strikes “extremely unlikely to occur” and would therefore sufficiently protect the species.