US delays rule on Gulf of Mexico whale protections by two years

July 14 (Reuters) - The National Marine Fisheries Service will delay a final rule designating protections for the endangered Rice's whale in the oil and gas drilling region of the Gulf of Mexico by two years, according to an agreement with environmental groups filed in a federal court.

The agreement with the Natural Resources Defense Council gives NMFS, a division of the Department of Commerce, until July 15, 2027, to finalize the geographic area considered to be critical for the species' survival.

The agreement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 3.