為了阻止美國大西洋沿岸的石油鑽探，美國保育人士25日向法院提起訴訟，要求擴大瀕危北大西洋露脊鯨的棲地保護，納入該物種育幼、繁殖與覓食場域。
此訴訟案乃向波士頓的美國麻塞諸塞區聯邦地區法院提出，發起單位有生物多樣性中心、野生物保衛者組織(Defenders of Wildlife)、美國人道協會與鯨豚保育協會(Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society)。
若一個地區被指定為聯邦列為瀕危物種的重要棲地，則聯邦政府必須確保其所核准的活動，諸如石油鑽探、商業捕魚、軍事訓練與船運，將不能減損棲地之價值，削弱該物種的復育。歐巴馬總統於2010年稍早批准開放美國東部海岸的石油鑽探，但鑑於墨西哥灣深水地平線鑽油平台長達一個月的漏油事件，他已暫時中止發出所有新鑽探許可。
野生物保衛者組織委任律師維佛(Sierra Weaver)表示：「正在墨西哥灣上演的石油災難顯示出，在海洋中進行的工業活動可能影響的不僅是動物本身，而是牠們生活的整體環境。」
「要是類似的災難發生在喬治亞州或佛羅里達州東海岸，可能使得這處北大西洋露脊鯨生產幼鯨的全世界唯一地點，不再適合棲息。」維佛說：「當政府決定是否准許這些類別活動，或是決定何處可進行時，必需考慮到這樣的風險。」
北大西洋露脊鯨(Eubalaena glacialis)列名於瀕危物種法案中超過30年，其數量大約僅存350隻個體，是世界上最可能滅絕的鯨魚之一。
此項訴案質疑國家海洋漁業局失職，未能回應保育團體2009年提出的請願，該次請願尋求依《瀕危物種法》擴大此物種的重要棲地。依據法律，該機關須針對此請願內容，在90天內有所作為。
科學家估計，目前的趨勢若持續下去，北大西洋露脊鯨可能在200年間步入滅絕。
這些露脊鯨會從牠們位於美國東南方沿海的繁殖地，遷徙到牠們位於美國東北與加拿大沿海的覓食地。成年雌露脊鯨生育速度緩慢，每4年生產一隻幼鯨，而直到8歲才具備生育能力。
保育團體前次請願旨在請求擴大保護北大西洋露脊鯨位於喬治亞州與北佛羅里達州沿海的繁殖地，同時保護東北沿海的重要覓食棲地，以及繁殖地與覓食地之間的遷徙通道。
北大西洋露脊鯨面臨的主要威脅是船隻碰撞、受困於商業捕魚漁具、棲地退化、噪音量增加、全球暖化、海洋酸化與污染。自2004年以來，至少有18隻露脊鯨遭到漁具纏困與船隻撞擊，因而死亡或嚴重受傷。
Conservationists seeking to block oil drilling off the U.S. Atlantic coast today filed a lawsuit asking for expanded habitat protections for the endangered North Atlantic right whale to include the species' nursery, breeding and feeding grounds.
The lawsuit was filed in the District of Massachusetts federal court in Boston by the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, The Humane Society of the United States, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
In areas designated as critical habitat for an federally listed endangered species, the federal government must ensure that federally permitted activities such as oil drilling, commercial fishing, military training, and vessel traffic will not diminish the value of the habitat in a way that will impair recovery of the species. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama endorsed opening the U.S. east coast to oil drilling, but he has temporarily suspended all new drilling permits in view of the month-long Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
"The ongoing oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has shown that industrial activities in the ocean can affect not only the animals themselves, but the entire environment in which they live," said Sierra Weaver, attorney for Defenders of Wildlife.
"A similar catastrophe off the east coast of Georgia or Florida could make uninhabitable the only place on Earth that right whales give birth to their young," Weaver said. "The government must consider such risks when deciding if and where to permit these types of activities."
Listed under the Endangered Species Act more than 30 years ago, the population of the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, numbers only around 350 individuals, making it one of the world's most endangered whales.
The lawsuit challenges the National Marine Fisheries Service's failure to respond to the groups' 2009 legal petition seeking expanded critical habitat for the species under the Endangered Species Act. By law, the agency is required to take action on such a petition within 90 days.
Scientists estimate that if current trends continue, the population could go extinct in fewer than 200 years.
These whales migrate from their calving grounds off the southeastern United States to their feeding grounds off the northeastern United States and Canada. Adult female right whales reproduce slowly. They give birth to one calf every four years and do not reach reproductive maturity until age eight.
The groups' petition seeks expanded protection for North Atlantic right whale calving grounds off of Georgia and northern Florida, protection for critical feeding habitat off the Northeast, and protections for the migratory route between calving and feeding grounds.
The primary threats to North Atlantic right whales are ship strikes, entanglement in commercial fishing gear, habitat degradation, rising noise levels, global warming, ocean acidification and pollution. Fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes have killed or seriously injured at least 18 right whales since 2004.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
