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Petition targets Trump policy that could endanger Rice’s whales

politicsMay 1, 2026243

Environmental groups launched a 'Stop Trump’s attack on whales' petition targeting a recent Trump administration policy they say threatens Rice’s whales. The petition notes just 51 Rice’s whales remain worldwide and that the species lives only in the Gulf of Mexico, where individuals dive deep for squid and fish. Groups contend the policy would expand industrial activity or roll back protections in the Gulf, increasing ship-strike and underwater-noise risks to this critically endangered population. Conservationists warn any uptick in mortality could push Rice’s whales from critically endangered to extinction because the population cannot absorb more losses.

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