NOAA Fisheries has formally withdrawn its proposed rule aimed at reducing vessel strikes on North Atlantic right whales.
The rule, which was introduced in 2022, sought to implement a 10-knot speed restriction for vessels 35 to 65 feet long along much of the Atlantic coast for over half the year. This proposal faced significant opposition from various lawmakers, industry groups, and individuals, who argued that the regulation was overly broad, lacked sufficient supporting data, and could negatively impact several sectors.
In July 2024, the House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led a letter signed by 54 other members, urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to return NOAA’s proposed North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule for further review.
The members expressed concerns that the rule’s expansion, which would include vessels between 35 and 65 feet, was based on underestimations of the number of boats affected. They argued that this expansion would significantly disrupt commercial and recreational activities such as boating and fishing, which contribute over $550 billion to the U.S. GDP annually. The signatories expressed that the proposed rule could harm industries dependent on ocean activities and reduce funding for vital restoration programs, suggesting that better solutions exist to prevent vessel strikes without causing significant economic damage.
However, Oceana’s analysis of boat speeds between November 2020 and July 2022 in NOAA-designated slow zones along the U.S. East Coast revealed that 84% of boats exceeded speed limits in mandatory zones, and 82% did so in voluntary zones. Boat strikes, a major threat to North Atlantic right whales, can cause severe injury or death. Research suggests that reducing boat speeds to 10 knots could lower the risk of fatal collisions with boats over 65 feet by 80% to 90%.
