The State We're In

Sep 18, 2026

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation

North Atlantic right whales, one of the largest animals on Earth, travel through waters off the New Jersey shore as they migrate along the East Coast. They are part of our state’s critical marine ecosystem, and their presence here gives us a direct stake in their well-being and a moral duty to do everything we can to ensure their survival.

Right whales survive by feeding almost entirely on tiny zooplankton. These remarkable animals – up to 55 feet long and weighing as much as 70 tons – filter thousands of gallons of seawater as they feed. Through this process and the nutrients they return to the water, right whales support plankton growth and a healthy marine food web. Plankton plays an important role in the health of our planet by absorbing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and contributing significantly to the oxygen produced in the world’s oceans.

Despite their awe-inspiring nature and a frightening drop in their numbers, the U.S. House of Representatives recently dealt a serious blow to these whales. The majority voted to further delay new federal protections designed to reduce the risk of entanglement in fishing gear – all the way through 2035.

Most of New Jersey’s congressional delegation voted against the delay, except for Representatives Thomas Kean Jr., Jeff Van Drew, and Chris Smith.

This decision is particularly alarming given there are fewer than 400 right whales alive today, and less than a quarter of those are reproductively active females. Waiting until 2035 to protect them may be an extinction sentence for these magnificent creatures.

Entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are among the leading threats to the species.

This summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) documented a five-year-old male right whale entangled in fishing line. The line ran along his mouth and trailed behind his tail and into the water. Biologists classified the entanglement as a severe injury, likely to result in death. The loss of even one whale is deeply damaging to the population.

It is heartbreaking to think that, without a course correction, we will wait until 2035 to do more to protect the right whale. And by then it may be too late.

New Jersey is fortunate to share its coastal waters with these impressive, beautiful animals. The ocean gives our state enormous value, and protecting life within it is part of our responsibility. We fish, sail, swim, and build communities and livelihoods around the Atlantic Ocean, and we need to protect this ecosystem if we want it to be there in the future.

A glimmer of hope came this year when 23 North Atlantic right whale calves were documented during the calving season – the highest number since 2009. These calves are a reminder that recovery is possible. But they also underscore just how low the numbers are for these animals on the brink.

New Jersians have another opportunity to advocate for the right whale when the Senate considers the House measure. Please contact our Senators, and urge them to support strong, science-based protections that immediately reduce threats to these whales going forward. And be sure to thank your representative in the House if they voted in favor of the whales. You can also contact the three House members who voted to delay protections and let them know you are disappointed by their vote. Find your congressional representatives https:/www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member.

North Atlantic right whales can’t wait for stronger protections. Let’s make sure our elected officials hear us and that we do our part to ensure that these majestic animals have a future in the waters off New Jersey and beyond.

To learn more about preserving New Jersey’s land and natural resources, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.