right whales

There are new developments Friday in the legal battle over whether rope used by Maine lobstermen poses a deadly threat of entanglement to endangered North Atlantic right whales. An activist who has won past decisions to protect the whales filed a motion in Bangor federal court, seeking a preliminary injunction to halt lobster fishing in Maine.

The Maine Lobstermen's Association is calling for a half-million dollars in public donations to help it "save" the state's lobster industry from potential extinction.

BOSTON - Federal ocean managers are asking mariners to continue slowing down east of Boston because of sightings of rare right whales in the area.

BOSTON - The federal government is extending three protective zones designed to help endangered whales until late March. The protective areas are intended to protect North Atlantic right whales from ship strikes, which can be fatal.

The annual Maine Fishermen's Forum is underway in Rockport, where the intertwined fates of lobstermen and endangered North Atlantic right whales are a hot topic.

Maine's top fisheries regulator is telling his federal counterparts the state's lobster fleet deserves more credit for its efforts to reduce the risk of fishing gear entanglements with the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Federal fisheries regulators are saying that Maine's proposed lobster gear rules, which were designed to reduce the risk to endangered North Atlantic right whales, don't go far enough.

Maine's congressional delegation is trying to up the pressure on federal fisheries regulators to look beyond the state's lobster industry when seeking to reduce threats to the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Court papers say a federal government plan to protect the endangered right whale is snarled in delays and won't likely be available for public comment until the summer.