A letter to the editor in the Jan. 19 paper stated that “… Maine’s congressional delegation, led by Sen. Susan Collins, recently secured a lifeline for our lobstermen in the year-end government funding bill. Their provision prohibits onerous new rules from going into effect for six years.”

It may be that, in overriding two of our nation’s bedrock environmental laws, our delegation gave temporary relief to the lobster industry. But it is also true that in once again preventing desperately needed protections for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, they may have sealed the fate of the species to extinction. This may well come back to haunt Maine.

The right whale is not solely Maine’s to do with as it will. Its extinction will lead to a further unraveling of ocean ecosystems and the as-yet unknown ecological and economic impacts this will bring about.

Beyond that, a great many people around the world care about the well-being of our oceans, including these whales. For many, they are a source of wonder, of beauty and mystery. Their impending extinction, along with the climate and other environmental crises we are now facing, has caused people to experience deep feelings of sadness and depression and a loss of hope for the future, no doubt hitting young people particularly hard.

Because of the delegation’s irresponsible action, Maine may have lost the opportunity to be a leader in saving this whale, and instead be known as a leading factor in its ultimate demise. Is this really what we want?

Russell Wray
Hancock

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