Environmental Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Deadly Ship Strikes Killing Whales Off California

Two environmental organisations have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing federal agencies of failing to protect whales and sea turtles from deadly ship strikes and pollution along California’s coast.

The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The lawsuit claims that the agencies neglected their legal duty to analyse how California’s designated shipping lanes affect marine life through increased vessel strikes, underwater noise, and air pollution.

So far in 2025, at least 10 gray whales have reportedly died in the Bay Area due to probable ship collisions, while several others have died from unknown causes.

Researchers estimate that about 80 whales are killed by ship strikes off the U.S. West Coast each year. However, since most carcasses sink and go unrecorded, scientists believe the real figure could be up to 20 times higher.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, rerouting ships and enforcing speed limits in areas where whales gather could significantly reduce strikes and pollution.

The organisation’s attorney emphasised that officials are legally obligated to minimise harm to endangered marine life and called for immediate action.

Friends of the Earth also expressed frustration, stating that the government’s inaction continues to result in preventable whale deaths. The group pointed out that despite previous court rulings, agencies have yet to address the ongoing risks.

This is not the first time the issue has reached the courts. In December 2022, the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth won a similar case that challenged the agencies’ failure to protect endangered whales near major ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and San Francisco Bay.

The earlier case overturned a 2017 federal analysis, known as a biological opinion, which concluded that shipping lanes caused no harm to whales or sea turtles. The court, however, found this determination illogical and stated it was “undisputed” that whales are killed by ships in those areas.

Despite the 2022 ruling, federal agencies have not completed a new biological opinion or introduced additional safety measures. Conservationists have urged authorities to implement proven strategies such as rerouting vessels and enforcing mandatory speed limits in whale “hotspots” like the Santa Barbara Channel and the northern approach to San Francisco Bay.

Reference: biologicaldiversity

Source: Maritime Shipping News