COMMENT DEADLINE: Rice’s Whale ESA Status Review — July 6, 2026

COMMENT DEADLINE: Rice’s Whale ESA Status Review — July 6, 2026

NMFS has initiated a 5-year ESA status review of the Rice’s whale — the world’s most endangered great whale, with only ~51 individuals surviving, all in the Gulf of Mexico. This review follows the Trump administration’s March 31, 2026 “God Squad” decision exempting all Gulf oil and gas operations from ESA protections. The review could result in the whale being downlisted from Endangered to Threatened, or delisted entirely. Your comment goes on the official legal record and can be used by conservation attorneys in ongoing court challenges.

Federal Register Notice (FR Doc. 2026-08663, 91 FR 24205):
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/05/2026-08663/endangered-and-threatened-species-initiation-of-a-status-review-for-the-rices-whale-and-request-for

To submit your comment:
Go to https://www.regulations.gov and enter docket NOAA-NMFS-2026-1222 in the search box. Click the “Comment” icon and complete the required fields. Anonymous comments accepted (enter “N/A” in required fields). Electronic submission only — no mail address is provided in the notice.

For further information: Clay George, NMFS Southeast Region, (912) 766-0087

Helpful background and sample comment language:
Endangered Species Coalition: https://www.endangered.org/how-many-whales-does-it-take-to-save-a-species-the-story-of-the-rices-whale/
Paul Watson Foundation (includes sample letter): https://www.paulwatsonfoundation.org/operation-gulf-guardians/

Deadline: July 6, 2026. Late comments might not be considered.  Notice does not say what time zone the deadline is in. We assume the deadline is midnight eastern time, as the office of Mr George is in Georgia.

Drawing of Rice’s whale is by NOAA.