To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to extend the time period for which certain regulations concerning the North Atlantic right whale are effective.

Key Points

• This bill extends current rules for protecting North Atlantic right whales for an additional seven years. Instead of the current rules ending in 2028, they would stay in place until 2035.
• The policy specifically helps the lobster and crab fishing industries. It prevents new, stricter federal rules from taking effect immediately, which many fishers argue would be too expensive or difficult to follow right now.
• The main conflict is between saving an endangered species and protecting the jobs of people who fish for a living. Stricter rules usually require new types of gear to prevent whales from getting tangled in ropes.
• If passed, this would give researchers and the fishing industry more time to develop whale-safe technology that does not hurt the economy of coastal towns.

Impact Analysis

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