BOSTON — Both of Massachusetts’ U.S. senators are calling for a federal inquiry to determine if Canada is doing enough to protect an endangered species of whale.
Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey are asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to examine whether Canada’s efforts to protect North Atlantic right whales match those taken by the United States.
A Nov. 13 letter from the senators said Canada has modified or removed measures it adopted in 2017 to protect the species, while the U.S. has taken new steps to prevent whales from getting tangled in fishing lines.
They said nine of 10 documented right whale deaths in 2019 were in Canadian waters.
Warren and Markey said the U.S. should prohibit Canadian fish imports if the country’s standards aren’t up to par.