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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The U.S. ocean regulatory body is considering altering a key regulation designed to safeguard endangered whales, drawing criticism from environmental advocates who are concerned about a recent whale fatality.
The regulation in question aims to protect the North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered species with fewer than 400 individuals remaining, residing along the East Coast. This rule mandates that large vessels reduce their speed during certain periods to minimize the risk of collisions, a significant threat to the whales’ survival.
A notice regarding potential changes to the right whale protection rules is available on the U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs website. However, it lacks specific details about the proposed changes. NOAA has indicated that further information will be released and emphasized its commitment to adopting “new technologies, engineering approaches, and other advanced tools” to enhance whale protection efforts.
Environmental organizations have expressed concern over the potential relaxation of vessel speed regulations. Their worries have intensified following the confirmation on February 10 of the death of a 3-year-old female whale off the coast of Virginia. Although the cause of death is still unknown, the loss of such a young whale is troubling.
Jane Davenport, a senior attorney with the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife, highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating, “The demise of another right whale — critical to the species’ future — underscores the need for stronger protections, not weaker ones. The administration’s apparent push to dilute the vessel speed rule is ill-timed.”
Right whales migrate every year from calving grounds off Florida and Georgia to feeding grounds off New England and Canada. Along the way, they are vulnerable to collisions with ships and entanglement in commercial fishing gear. They were once numerous off the East Coast but were decimated during the commercial whaling era and have been federally protected for decades.
The Biden administration planned to expand slow zones off the East Coast to protect the whales. It also planned to expand the classes of boats required to slow down. However, the federal government withdrew the proposal in the final days of the administration, with officials saying it didn’t have time to finalize the regulations due to the scope and volume of public comments.
Some shipping businesses and other marine industries have long pushed back at vessel speed rules. The National Marine Manufacturers Association has described speed restrictions as “archaic” and advocated for solutions that rely on technology.