On Wednesday, the NOAA announced it would be abandoning further proposed vessel speed restrictions in the North Atlantic Ocean. The legislation, which has been under debate since 2022, was intended to protect North Atlantic right whales by reducing strikes from commercial vessels. The proposed expansion of the existing regulations included reducing vessel speeds in certain areas even further. It would have also applied to smaller vessels that were previously exempt.
The new rules faced opposition from East Coast seaports and commercial groups who argued that the restrictions would harm commerce and pose safety risks.
"Vessel speed restrictions, no matter how well-intentioned, significantly disrupt the flow of commerce through our nation’s gateways while also increasing the dangers faced by harbor pilots and mariners," said Cary S. Davis, President and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) in a press release.
"America’s ports appreciate the federal government’s decision to withdraw the NARW Vessel Speed Restriction rule and look forward to supporting precision technologies to safeguard marine life."
The decision was met with frustration from conservation groups who say the amendments were necessary to protect the endangered species. According to Oceanographic, "since 2020, at least 16 critically endangered North Atlantic right whales have been killed or injured by blows from boats and ships. In 2024 alone, four right whales – including two females and two dependent calves – have died as a result of vessel strikes in US waters. Fewer than 70 reproductively active females now remain."
The proposed regulations further reduced speeds for commercial vessels of certain sizes in certain areas of the North Atlantic where right whales are known to frequent.
According to Maritime Executive, "In 2022, after finding that small vessel strikes could also be lethal, NOAA issued a proposal that would have covered smaller vessels down to 35 feet in length. Among other impacts, this would have had commercial implications for the U.S. offshore wind industry, which relies on small, speedy and economical dayboats for maintenance. Lacking overnight accommodations, these boats need to make 20 knots or more in order to get to an offshore wind farm and back within the span of a single working day. Ferries for Martha's Vineyard would also have been forced to slow down because of the regional expansion contained in the rule."
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service said it was withdrawing the proposed rule "in light of numerous and ongoing requests from the public for further opportunity to review and engage with the agency." The NMFS said it received over 90,000 comments on the proposal since 2022 and did not have time to properly review all of them before the change in administration on Monday. It also said it reserved the right to reissue similar proposals in the future.
Research regarding collisions with right whales has shown that a vessel travelling at 10 knots (11.5 mph) or less is less likely to harm a whale in a collision. Under the existing vessel speed regulations, vessels 65-feet or longer are required to reduce speed to 10 knots in designated areas along the US East Coast during specific seasons. The regulations exempt government, law enforcement, and certain foreign vessels. West Coast ports are governed only by voluntary measures.
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