O’Melveny Partners with Oceana to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales

O’Melveny has been representing Oceana—the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation—in connection with its efforts to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Once numbering in the thousands before being hunted to near extinction, fewer than 350 right whales remain, down from a recent peak of approximately 480 in 2011. The greatest threats to the species’ survival are vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing gear, including lines attached to lobster traps.

O’Melveny assisted Oceana in drafting comments on a major rulemaking effort aimed at reducing threats to the whales from entanglements in lobster gear in New England. After that rule was remanded by a federal court and determined by the regulatory agency to provide inadequate protection to the species in light of newer data, a new rulemaking process was initiated. O’Melveny helped Oceana draft and submit comments on the scoping document for that rulemaking and continues to monitor issues affecting the right whale population.