Alexandria, VA – February 3, 2026 – Earlier right this moment, a gaggle of bipartisan lawmakers led by Reps. Matsui (D-CA), Malliotakis (R-NY), Dexter (D-OR), Buchanan (R-FL), Elfreth (D-MD), and Carter (R-GA) launched the Whale CHARTS (Conservation Habitat Evaluation, Analysis, and Technical Methods) Act. This invoice will take significant motion to higher monitor whale actions, scale back vessel strikes and enhance entry to our oceans.
“Leisure anglers are amongst our nation’s main conservationists, with a deep and longstanding dedication to the well being of marine ecosystems,” mentioned Glenn Hughes, President and CEO of the American Sportfishing Affiliation. “The Whale CHARTS Act will enhance our understanding of whale ranges and actions, guaranteeing managers have sound knowledge to higher preserve these species whereas additionally serving to to attenuate vessel strikes. Higher knowledge results in higher outcomes for whales, ocean customers, and the marine surroundings all of us rely upon.”
The Whale CHARTS Act takes an modern and constructive strategy to mitigating danger of vessel strikes by investing in improved knowledge and supporting the event and deployment of whale detection and consciousness applied sciences. By strengthening the scientific basis for decision-making and supporting instruments that may be utilized on the water, the laws advances significant conservation outcomes whereas serving to guarantee the general public can safely recreate on the water.
Of explicit significance to the sportfishing business is Subsection (e) of the invoice, which might authorize a grant program to help the event, testing and scaling of modern whale detection applied sciences. This strategy will assist speed up sensible, on-the-water options and tackle important knowledge gaps which have sophisticated efficient administration and compliance.
In an analogous idea as this grant program, the Nationwide Fish and Wildlife Basis distributed $3.9 million to eight initiatives in 2025 because of Inflation Discount Act funding.
Along with broad help in Congress, the Whale CHARTS Act additionally has help from sportfishing and marine business teams in addition to ocean conservation organizations.
ASA appreciates the management of the invoice’s cosponsors in looking for sturdy options to whale conservation and fisheries entry, and we sit up for working with our companions in Congress, federal companies and others within the conservation group to seeing this necessary laws throughout the end line.
The American Sportfishing Affiliation (ASA) is the sportfishing business’s commerce affiliation dedicated to representing the pursuits of the sportfishing and boating industries in addition to all the sportfishing group. We give the business and anglers a unified voice when rising legal guidelines and insurance policies may considerably have an effect on sportfishing enterprise or sportfishing itself. ASA invests in long-term ventures to make sure the business will stay robust and affluent, in addition to safeguard and promote the enduring financial, conservation and social values of sportfishing in America. ASA additionally offers America’s 57.7 million anglers a voice in coverage selections that have an effect on their potential to sustainably fish on our nation’s waterways by means of Hold America Fishing, our nationwide angler advocacy marketing campaign. America’s anglers generate greater than $50 billion in retail gross sales with a $230.5 billion affect on the nation’s financial system creating employment for 1.1 million folks.
