US finds endangered Gulf of Mexico Whale threatened by oil and Gas Vessel Strikes

The Trump administration released a long-awaited assessment of environmental impact on Tuesday. It found that vessel strikes relating to oil and natural gas drilling in Gulf of Mexico will likely threaten the existence of endangered Rice's Whale.

The biological opinion is an analysis that determines how to protect endangered marine species from oil and gas operations in the Gulf of America, renamed by President Donald Trump.

According to the analysis, there are 51 Rice's Whales in the Gulf. This sets speed limits and requires vessels to keep a minimum 500-meter (547 yard) distance from them if they see one.

Last year, a federal judge ordered that the National Marine Fisheries Service revise their previous assessment as it failed to adequately address the risks species face due to oil spills and vessel collisions.

The oil and gas industry warned that the vital energy operations could be closed if the document was not submitted by the May 21 deadline set by the judge.

The American Petroleum Institute (API), and the National Ocean Industries Association(NOIA), both welcomed the publication of the report, but criticised the conclusion that oil and natural gas activities were a threat to the Rice whale population.

In a press release, NOIA President Erik Milito stated that "as we continue to review the new opinion we are concerned about the inclusion of a 'jeopardy' finding for the Rice’s whale." This determination is inconsistent with current science and creates unnecessarily regulatory uncertainty.

Environmentalists who sued oil and gas drillers to protect the Rice’s whale said that the restrictions placed on them were not enough.

Chris Eaton, a lawyer with Earthjustice, said that the biological opinion is just as insufficient for protecting rare marine animals as was the previous one. For Rice's Whales, the Fisheries Service has admitted that activities will kill nine whales over the next 45-years. Reporting by Nichola Paul; editing by Sonali Groom

(source: Reuters)