Speakers: Michell Bevins, Oceana's Carolinas Field Representative on the North Atlantic right whale
Topic: The Rising Threats to the Legal Frameworks That Protect right whales
 

Join the Cape Fear Sierra Club for an upcoming presentation from Oceana’s Carolinas Field Representative on the North Atlantic right whale and the rising threats to the legal frameworks that protect them. These are North Carolina’s whales; twice a year, they migrate through our coastal waters as they travel to and from their only known calving grounds in the South. Because they are slow-moving surface dwellers with no dorsal fin, they are nearly impossible for mariners to spot until it is too late, leading to preventable deaths from boat strikes and entanglements.

The stakes for these whales have never been higher; on March 4, 2026, NOAA issued an advance notice considering the deregulation of essential vessel speed protections. Beyond these specific maritime rules, we will also discuss the broader, alarming push for rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act itself. We will explore how these potential legislative and regulatory shifts could undermine decades of conservation progress and what we must do to advocate for stronger protections before the federal public comment period closes on June 2. Please join us to learn how we can take action to ensure these whales and the laws that protect them do not disappear.