In a letter sent to the assistant administrator for NOAA fisheries last week, the New England Aquarium says it opposes efforts by the National Marine Fisheries Service to deregulate vessel speed limits designed to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.
The speed limits were established in 2008 in management areas where right whales were observed during their migration. But earlier this year, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service's posted an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking of a "possible deregulatory action" to its website.
In its letter, the aquarium cited studies that say vessel strikes remain a threat to the small population of right whales left on the East Coast.
Between 2020 and 2025, 22 right whale vessel strikes were detected in U.S. waters, of which six were fatal and two resulted in serious injuries.
"The two seriously injured whales have not been seen again. Additionally, there was one dependent calf whose mother was killed by a vessel strike and that calf is presumed to have died," the letter says. "These data underscore the need for increased vessel strike risk reduction for right whales, not less."
NOAA says it wants to reduce what it calls "unnecessary regulatory and economic burdens" on mariners by, "replacing current seasonal speed restrictions with alternative management areas and advanced, technology-based, strike-avoidance measures that maintain or enhance conservation efficacy."
New England Aquarium scientist Jessica Redfern says that while radar technology has improved for vessels to detect whales, the speed limits are still necessary.
"Technology development and the vessel speed rule are not mutually exclusive, with less than 390 North Atlantic right whales remaining," she said. "They are one of our most endangered marine mammal species in United States water."
The public comment period for the proposed rule change closed earlier this week. Now NOAA Fisheries will review the input before making a decision.
Read the aquarium's full letter here.
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