A committee of Trump administration officials voted unanimously to exempt Gulf oil and gas operations from Endangered Species Act protections, citing national security concerns. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to call the meeting, which marked the first time national security has been used to justify such an exemption. The decision removes requirements for oil companies to protect endangered species like Rice's whales, with only about 51 remaining in the Gulf.

Until now, federal agencies had asked oil companies to protect Gulf species by avoiding loud technology when whales were spotted and preventing trash disposal. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined last May that energy industry could take measures to avoid harming Rice's whales and other species. Conservation groups called the vote "illegal" and characterized the national security justification as manufactured, noting the oil industry is among the world's wealthiest.

The exemption applies not only to Rice's whales but to every other listed species in the Gulf in relation to oil and gas operations for decades to come. This includes sperm whales, West Indian manatees, and several Gulf sea turtles. The Interior Department has not explained the national security implications of oil exploration in the Gulf, and the Department of Defense declined to comment due to pending litigation. The Center for Biological Diversity has already sued over the government's failure to provide proper public notice before calling the meeting.