The North Atlantic right whale numbers only about 360, and scientists have said the animal's small population of breeding females could spell doom for the species.
The National Marine Fisheries Service is developing new rules to reduce the possibility of entanglement in fishing gear, which can kill the whales.
AdThe coming restrictions have sparked a rancorous debate between environmentalists and lobster fishermen over the proper way to save the whale.
It's holding public hearings about the proposed rules in New England, including one for southern Maine on Feb. 23 and one for northern Maine on Feb. 24.
AdThe right whales were hunted to near extinction during the commercial whaling era.