Weak protection for rare whale violates law, US judge says

An endangered North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing rope being sighted with a newborn calf off Georgia (Georgia Department of Natural Resources via AP)

A judge has ruled that the US federal government has not done enough to protect a rare species of whale from lethal entanglement in lobster fishing gear, and new rules are needed to protect the species from extinction.

The American government has violated both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act by failing to protect the North Atlantic right whale, US district judge James Boasberg ruled on Friday.