MATSUI & COLLEAGUES INTRODUCE WHALE CHARTS ACT, MODERNIZING WHALE HABITAT MAPPING AND DETECTION TOOLS TO PREVENT COLLISIONS
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), Maxine Dexter (D-OR-03), Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), and Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) introduced the Whale CHARTS Act, bipartisan legislation that will direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve whale habitat maps and develop near-real time whale detection technologies to help prevent deadly collisions.
The Whale CHARTS Act is backed by a notable coalition of recreational fishing, boating, and conservation organizations aligned behind a shared goal: protect whales from vessel collisions using better data and tools, while ensuring mariners can keep doing their jobs safely and other ocean users can continue to enjoy recreation opportunities.
“For too long, whale protection has been treated like a zero-sum fight. This bill is about choosing a better way,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “With clearer whale maps and near real time detection tools, we can help captains avoid whales before a collision happens, protect endangered species, and keep fishermen on the water doing the work they love. That kind of progress only happens when people who care deeply about the ocean, from maritime workers to conservation advocates, come together to advance practical solutions.”
“Current predictive maps don’t give us a good picture of where whales are feeding and calving. That puts both these magnificent animals and boaters at risk of dangerous collisions,” said Congresswoman Malliotakis. “This legislation directs NOAA to conduct more research and mapping so we can protect our whales and keep our mariners and everyone who loves our waters safe.”
“Knowing where whales are in our waters is key to protecting whales and boaters alike,” said Congresswoman Dexter. “The Whale CHARTS Act will deploy the best available technology to improve whale tracking, helping prevent deadly collisions and protect these species for generations to come. This is a win-win policy for whales as well as for the people who work and recreate in marine waters.”
“With a thriving global maritime industry, it’s critical that vessels can travel alongside whale populations without risking dangerous collisions,” said Congressman Buchanan. “The Whale CHARTS Act strengthens NOAA’s ability to map baleen and sperm whale habitats using better data and modern technology, protecting marine wildlife while keeping recreational and commercial boaters safe. As Co-Chair of the Animal Protection Caucus, I will always fight for solutions that safeguard animals without disrupting mariners and the public who rely on and enjoy our oceans.”
“Having dedicated a majority of my career to preserving the Chesapeake Bay, I know firsthand how crucial accurate data is to ensuring our work reflects a thoughtful balance between recreation and conservation,” said Congresswoman Elfreth. “I’m proud to co-sponsor the bipartisan Whale CHARTS Act to not only support conservation efforts for our critical marine mammals, but make our waters safer for our wildlife and our watermen.”
“The Whale CHARTS Act will protect whales and boaters alike by deploying cutting-edge technologies to better track and monitor migratory whales,” said Congressman Carter. “I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan effort to prevent vessel strikes and better understand America's marine wildlife.”
The Whale CHARTS Act directs NOAA, in consultation with the Marine Mammal Commission and non-federal stakeholders, to develop high-resolution maps showing where migratory whales are located today and where they may be in the future, as well as conduct surveys for understudied whale populations. It encourages NOAA to use modern data sources, including passive acoustic monitoring and satellite-based detection, to improve map accuracy. NOAA must make these maps readily available in formats commercial and recreational mariners can use onboard to help reduce collisions.
The bill also establishes a grant program to fund tools that will improve the near-real time detection of migratory whales, reducing deadly collisions and other harmful interactions between ocean users and these iconic species. Finally, NOAA is required to publicly report on its mapping and surveying efforts, and on the effectiveness of the projects funded by the grant program.
Congresswoman Matsui is co-chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), and co-chairs the SEEC Lands, Waters, and Nature Task Force. She previously led efforts to improve whale habitat mapping through NOAA’s annual budget.
Full legislative text can be found here.
The following organizations have endorsed the Whale CHARTS Act: American Sportfishing Association, Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Sportfishing Policy, Coastal Conservation Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife, Endangered Species Coalition, Environmental Investigation Agency, Guy Harvey Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, International Game Fish Association, International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute, Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, National Marine Manufacturers Association, NRDC, Oceana, Ocean Conservancy, South Carolina Boating and Fishing Alliance, Sportfishing Association of California, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. Their statements can be found below.
“Ship strikes remain a leading, preventable cause of whale deaths off U.S. coasts. Better data can help prevent ship strikes before they happen,” said Taylor Mann, Federal Policy Manager, Oceana. “With a growing ocean-based economy and more vessel traffic at sea, the Whale CHARTS Act is an important tool that will help us better understand and predict where whales are most likely to be, even as those patterns shift in a changing ocean. By expanding access to best available science, this act will support safer navigation and help maritime industries and whales coexist. Oceana applauds this bipartisan step to protect one of the ocean’s most iconic creatures.”
“Recreational anglers are among our nation’s leading conservationists, with a deep and longstanding commitment to the health of marine ecosystems,” said Glenn Hughes, President and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association. “The Whale CHARTS Act, led by Representatives Matsui, Malliotakis, Dexter, Buchanan, Carter and Elfreth, will improve our understanding of whale ranges and movements, ensuring managers have sound data to better conserve these species while also helping to minimize vessel strikes. Better data leads to better outcomes for whales, ocean users, and the marine environment we all depend on.”
“The Whale CHARTS Act is smart legislation that recognizes conservation and access can advance together,” said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. “By investing in better data and real-world detection technologies, this bill takes a practical, science-based approach to reducing vessel strike risk while keeping America’s public waters accessible for responsible recreation.”
“Migratory whales and other large cetaceans have long been understudied despite being some of the most vulnerable marine mammals to threats caused by humans,” said Kathleen Collins, IFAW Senior Marine Campaign Manager. “IFAW has worked tirelessly in the pursuit of conserving many of these species, and we're grateful to Representatives Matsui, Malliotakis, Dexter, Buchanan, Carter and Elfreth for recognizing the plight of these animals and championing the Whale CHARTS Act.”
"Animal Welfare Institute welcomes the reintroduction of the Whale CHARTS Act, a critically needed effort to strengthen our understanding of whale habitat use and support evidence-based conservation,” said Georgia Hancock Director & Senior Attorney of the Marine Wildlife Program. “Too many whale populations, including baleen and sperm whales, remain imperiled by human impacts, especially as climate-driven changes alter where they live and feed. This legislation would help ensure NOAA has the resources to produce high-resolution distribution and predictive maps essential for protecting whales and their vital habitat.”
"Representative Doris Matsui's Whale CHARTS Act is an excellent way to protect whales and avoid conflicts with shipping and fishing interests,” said David Phillips, Executive Director, International Marine Mammal Project, Earth Island Institute. “Nobody wants to see dead whales. Shipping companies and fishermen alike depend on a variety of information provided by the federal and state governments and, often, nonprofit organizations about where whales are located and can be avoided. But identifying where the whales are, and what alternatives are available, costs money, so Rep. Matsui has come up with legislation to fill funding gaps. The International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute supports the Whale CHARTS Act to enhance protections for our great whales."
“More accurate information in our decision-making related to ocean resources will reduce uncertainty,” said Ken Franke, President of the Sportfishing Association of California. “The Whale CHARTS Act seeks to fill that data gap by improving our understanding of whale locations to help avoid conflicts.”
“We are very grateful for the leadership of Representatives Matsui, Malliotakis, Dexter, Buchanan, Elfreth and Carter in introducing the Whale CHARTS Act,” said Chris Horton, senior director of fisheries policy for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “The angling community cares deeply about the conservation of our marine environment, not just the fish we pursue. This bill offers genuine, effective solutions for preventing vessel strikes and ensuring the safety of both whales and those of us who spend time on the water.”
“We are grateful for Representatives Matsui, Malliotakis, Dexter, Buchanan, Elfreth and Carter for supporting a science-based approach to helping anglers and recreational boaters avoid whale strikes while allowing access to the waters that are so important for fishing and coastal economies," said Joel Pedersen, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. "Recreational anglers are conservationists and that includes caring about populations of marine mammals, birds and fish beyond just the ones we enjoy catching. By using technology, sharing information and advancing the science needed to help anglers and boaters avoid whales, we can ensure ample, consistent access to public waters for fishing while protecting whales and all marine mammals."
“The Whale CHARTS Act would fund important mapping improvements and detection technologies in whale habitats,” said Daniel Moss, senior government relations representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “Vessel strikes are one of the primary killers of whales, including critically endangered species. They are also dangerous for mariners, particularly in smaller boats. While speed restrictions are the only proven mechanism to reduce vessel strike risk, this bill will advance research that may ultimately make our waters safer for whales and mariners. We salute Rep. Matsui for her leadership in promoting whale conservation and mariner safety."
"Critically endangered baleen and toothed whales continually experience every day the constant barrage of anthropogenic threats to their ability to find food and reproduce", said CT Harry, Senior Ocean Policy Analyst with Environmental Investigation Agency. "Science-based legislation like the WHALE CHARTS Act is critically important for understanding how these highly charismatic and unique species are having to change their migratory routes to locate new feeding and breeding areas in order to survive".
"America’s whales are facing a world of challenges right now, from vessel strikes to industrial development to an ocean that is changing all around them," said Michael Jasny, Director of Marine Mammal Protection at NRDC. " The bipartisan Whale CHARTS Act supports the science we need to save the species we love."
"NMMA is grateful to Rep. Matsui and Rep. Malliotakis for introducing the Whale CHARTS Act that improves NOAA's monitoring and mitigation program and balances protecting access for recreational boaters and the habitats of marine mammals," said Robyn Boerstling, NMMA Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Chief Advocacy Officer. "The recreational boating industry deeply cares about protecting marine life and supports and encourages efforts by the government to partner with industry experts to further develop whale detection technologies.”