The USA could postpone protective measures for right whales, an endangered species, until 2035. Ecologists warn that this could lead to the extinction of the species.

The U.S. government could delay for nearly a decade the implementation of measures meant to protect North Atlantic right whales, a species critically endangered. According to ecologists, this delay could compromise the species' chances of survival, of which only about 380 individuals remain in the North Atlantic.

The main threats are collisions with vessels and entanglement in fishing gear.

The federal government has already suspended new regulations until 2028, and the House Natural Resources Committee has voted to extend the moratorium until 2035.

Opposition to the regulations mainly comes from the lobster and crab industries in New England, which argue that the additional measures could severely impact their businesses.

The right whale population has decreased by 25% between 2010 and 2020, and climate change contributes to the threats they face. Right whales were hunted nearly to extinction in the past, and now they face new challenges that endanger their survival.