National Marine Fisheries Service news stories on Newser

Wildlife Cops Seek Whale Shooter

Matt Cantor — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:40:05 CDT

Officials are looking for the person who shot a whale that beached itself and died on the Jersey shore after a month of painful swimming. The attack could result in big fines and a year in jail. “This poor animal literally starved to death," says a wildlife agency rep. "It...

Humpback Whales May Lose Endangered Tag

Kevin Spak — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:55:26 CST

In attempt to determine whether the humpback whales still need to be saved, the government is reviewing the marine mammals' place on the endangered species list for the first time in a decade. The results look promising: “They appear to be coming back pretty strongly in most of the places...

Pacific Salmon Season in Peril

Nick McMaster — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:30:24 CDT

A shortage of salmon in the waters along the Pacific coast has driven regulators to consider a ban on salmon-fishing this season, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Pacific Fishery Management Council has never recommended canceling the season before, and about 1,000 commercial fishermen could see their livelihood devastated...

Dolphin Dies Near Sonar Site

Peter Fearon — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:00:00 CST

Researchers are trying to determine what killed a female dolphin that washed up on an island off the coast of San Diego—an area where the Navy conducted controversial sonar tests, the Los Angeles Times reports. The dolphin washed up as the Navy challenges court-imposed restrictions on the use of...