The United States administration has revised the definition of 'harm' within the Endangered Species Act (ESA), coinciding with a significant increase in gray whale mortality rates in the Pacific Ocean.

美國政府修訂了《瀕危物種法》（ESA）中關於「傷害」的定義，與此同時，太平洋灰鯨的死亡率顯著增加。

The Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce have finalized a rule rescinding the protection of critical habitats from the definition of 'harm' under the ESA. This regulatory shift reverses a fifty-year precedent, including a 1995 Supreme Court affirmation, which previously prohibited habitat modification. The administration characterizes the prior interpretation as a regulatory intrusion upon private property rights and an obstruction of lawful land use. Conversely, legal representatives from Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity assert that this modification removes essential protections for species' breeding and foraging grounds, potentially exacerbating an existing biodiversity crisis. This action is situated within a broader deregulatory strategy aimed at facilitating industrial access and energy extraction, exemplified by the appointment of federal officials to the 'God squad' to mitigate ESA-related obstacles to infrastructure.

內政部與商務部已敲定一項新規則，將關鍵棲息地的保護從 ESA 對「傷害」的定義中刪除。這次監管轉向推翻了過去五十年的慣例，包括 1995 年最高法院的確認，而此前是禁止修改棲息地的。政府將之前的解釋定性為對私有財產權的監管侵犯，以及對合法土地利用的阻礙。相反，來自 Earthjustice 與生物多樣性中心（Center for Biological Diversity）的法律代表則認為，這次修訂取消了對物種繁殖與覓食地的必要保護，可能會加劇現有的生物多樣性危機。此行動屬於更大規模去監管策略的一部分，旨在便利工業進入與能源開採，例如任命聯邦官員進入「上帝小組」（God squad），以減少 ESA 對基礎設施造成的阻礙。

Simultaneously, the Pacific gray whale population has experienced a precipitous decline, falling from approximately 20,000 in 2019 to fewer than 13,000 in the current year. Marine biologists attribute this 'catastrophic mortality event' primarily to climate-induced sea ice depletion in Alaska, which has compromised primary food sources. Secondary stressors include ship strikes, microplastic pollution, and subsistence harvesting in Russia. While California has implemented voluntary ship speed reduction zones to mitigate collisions, similar measures in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska have been impeded by industry opposition. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is currently reviewing a petition to relist the gray whale under the ESA, though observers note that the current administration has not yet listed any species under the act during its second term.

與此同時，太平洋灰鯨的數量急劇下降，由 2019 年的大約 20,000 隻跌至今年少於 13,000 隻。海洋生物學家將這次「災難性死亡事件」主要歸咎於阿拉斯加受氣候影響而導致的海冰減少，損害了主要食物來源。次要壓力因素包括船隻碰撞、微塑料污染以及在俄羅斯的生存採集。雖然加州實施了自願性減速區以減少碰撞，但俄勒岡州、華盛頓州與阿拉斯加州的類似措施則因工業界反對而受阻。美國國家海洋暨大氣管理局（NOAA）目前正在審查一份將灰鯨重新列入 ESA 瀕危名單的申請，但觀察員指出，現任政府在第二任期內尚未將任何物種列入該法案。

The federal government has narrowed the scope of species protections while the gray whale population faces severe ecological pressure and a pending relisting decision.

聯邦政府縮小了物種保護範圍，而灰鯨數量正正面對嚴重的生態壓力，且重新列入名單的決定尚在審核中。