The US President, Donald Trump has been accused of “dealing a death blow” to population numbers of the critically endangered Rice’s whale by US conservation groups now suing the administration for “stripping away measures” aimed at protecting the species from deadly ship and vessel collisions.

Environmental groups, including Friends of the Earth, the Centre for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club, and the Turtle Island Restoration Network have sent notice of their intent to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the federal agency that issued strengthened protections for the species back in 2023, but revoked them in February this year.  

Both the agency and the administration have now been accused of ‘gambling with an extinction level event in the name of Big Oil handouts.’

“It’s atrocious that the Trump administration illegally tore away Rice’s whales’ only protections from ship strikes in their western and central Gulf of Mexico habitat,” said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Centre for Biological Diversity.

“These whales are on the brink of extinction and the few dozen left alive desperately need more protections from speeding vessels and other offshore oil drilling activity, not less.”

The groups are seeking a re-issuance of the protections that were provided in 2023 under the Biden administration and apply directly to oil and gas vessels. The revoked protections included a recommendation that these vessels travel at no more than 10 nautical miles per hour through Rice’s whale habitat in the western and central Gulf of Mexico.

They were also advised to avoid the area at night and other times of low visibility. Similar measures are currently required of oil and gas vessels travelling through the whale’s habitat in the eastern Gulf.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued the expanded protections after scientific evidence emerged, showing that the whales are also regularly found in the western and central Gulf, not just the eastern Gulf as was previously believed.

“It cannot be overstated: Trump is dealing a death blow to the critically endangered Rice’s whale in the name of Big Oil handouts,” said Hallie Templeton, legal director for Friends of the Earth. 

“Unfettered oil and gas activity will only maximise profits, at an irretrievable cost. Prevention of this very scenario is what the Endangered Species Act is meant to sanctify. From ship speeds to seismic blasts, we will keep watchdogging and fighting to forestall a complete extinction level event.” 

In its letter, the groups state that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has “violated the Endangered Species Act” by rescinding the protections. The Bureau has stated that the decision was issued in response to Secretary Burgum’s Order: “Unleashing American Energy”.

The groups write that no other explanation for the revocation has been provided.

The Rice’s whale is one of the most endangered whales in the world, with only an estimated 51 individuals remaining. Living entirely in the Gulf of Mexico, this species is particularly vulnerable to ship strikes, noise pollution, and the threat of oil spills from offshore drilling activities.

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