Bloomberg Law recently reported that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is delaying into 2024 its expansion of the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction rule.
The original proposal would restrict boats measuring 35 feet and longer to speeds of 10 knots along much of the Eastern Seaboard for several months of the year. The revision would apply to boats measuring 65 feet and longer, according to Bloomberg.
“We are encouraged by the reports that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has decided to delay its proposed vessel speed restrictions along the Atlantic Coast,” Frank Hugelmeyer, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, said in a statement. “This harmful proposal has the potential to significantly impact boater safety and coastal economies across the eastern seaboard. We will continue to encourage NOAA to find a balanced solution that protects the North Atlantic right whale without jeopardizing small businesses and the livelihoods of hard-working Americans.”
NMMA has continually pressed for pausing the rule so safeguards for the whales could be established through legislation including the bipartisan Protecting Whales, Human Safety, and the Economy Act. The legislation would pause the NARW rule and appropriate $5 million to a real-time whale monitoring program that would deploy innovative, scalable technology to mitigate vessel strikes.
