Environmentalists can continue with suit to protect whales

By PATRICK WHITTLE
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A federal court is allowing a team of environmental groups to continue with a lawsuit against the U.S. government. The suit seeks to create stronger rules to protect rare North Atlantic right whales from collisions with ships. The petitioners want to expand areas and times when there’s a speed limit for vessels. Right whales are vulnerable to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. The Biden administration has pushed back against the suit and sought to have it dismissed. But the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied that request Wednesday. The court ruled the government “cannot avoid its obligation” to consider the request.