By PATRICK WHITTLEtoday

FILE – In this March 28, 2018 file photo, a North Atlantic right whale feeds
on the surface of Cape Cod bay off the coast of Plymouth, Mass. Rescuers who
respond to distressed whales and other marine animals say the federal
government shutdown is making it more difficult to do their work. (AP
Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Rescuers who respond to distressed whales and other
marine animals say the federal government shutdown is making it more
difficult to do their work.

A network of rescue groups in the U.S. works with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to respond to marine mammals such as whales and
seals when the animals are in trouble, such as when they are stranded on
land or entangled in fishing gear. But the federal shutdown, which is
entering its 33rd day on Wednesday, includes a shuttering of the NOAA