Global News - May 2008
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US government has been blocking efforts to protect endangered whales
Fri 02 May 2008 14:00 UK — North America,Marine Wildlife
It has emerged that the White House blocked plans to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.
Scientists in the US have urged the government to introduce speed limits for ships which enter the whale's feeding and calving grounds.
However, leaked documents indicate that vice president Dick Cheney's office sent several letters questioning if the proposed ten knots limit would do anything to protect the mammals.
The documents reportedly said there was "no evidence that lowering the speeds of 'large ships' will actually make a difference".
Scientists responded by pointing out: "At vessel speeds at or below ten knots, the probability of death [or] serious injury is greatly reduced."
Recently, scientists from the US revealed that a new ten-buoy right whale Listening Network would help protect the North Atlantic right whales.
The team said the devices monitored the mammals' distinctive calls and transmitted the information about their locations to a website which could be monitored by ships' captains.
North Atlantic right whales are considered one of the most endangered species on Earth.
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