U.S. Federal Court Rules American Lobster Industry Violates Endangered Species Act

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a ruling on April 9, 2026, declaring the American lobster fishery in violation of the Endangered Species Act due to entanglement risk to North Atlantic Right Whales. The 20-page ruling found that NOAA had improperly authorized the fishery to continue operating without adequate measures to prevent right whale deaths from vertical rope entanglement — the leading cause of right whale mortality. The decision could force a rapid transition to ropeless fishing gear technology for New England lobster fishermen, a change the industry has long resisted as economically disruptive.