Why It Matters: The recreational boating and fishing community understands the importance of protecting North Atlantic right whales (NARW) and fully supports efforts to do so. However, a new rule under final consideration by the White House Office of Management and Budget implementing a 10-knot speed limit for all vessels 35 feet and longer will have significant implications for offshore anglers and boaters at certain times of the year along most of the Atlantic Coast. Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Co-Chair Senator Joe Manchin and CSC Member Senator Lindsey Graham recently introduced a bill to temporarily pause the rule’s implementation while funding research to refine existing technologies to avoid whale-vessel encounters.
Highlights:
- Although the chances of a recreational vessel striking a NARW are extremely small, all boats 35 feet and longer are facing a drastic reduction in safe ocean access if a NOAA-proposed rule is implemented this fall.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and partners have been advocating for better alternatives for right whale conservation using existing and emerging technologies that further reduce the already diminutive risk of a vessel strike by a recreational vessel.
- CSC Senators Manchin and Graham recently introduced a bill to do just that, momentarily delaying any changes to the existing North Atlantic vessel speed rule while technological solutions are explored and implemented.
Prior to the August recess, CSC Co-Chair Senator Joe Manchin and CSC Member Senator Lindsey Graham introduced the bipartisan Protecting Whales, Human Safety and The Economy Act Of 2024 (S. 4948). The bill would prohibit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from enacting any rule that would modify or replace the current North Atlantic Right Whale vessel strike reduction (VSR) rule until at least 2030, while also establishing a grant program through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to develop, assess, and carry out activities that reduce lethal and sub-lethal interactions between ocean users and whales.
CSF and partners in the fishing and boating community have been advocating for a real time monitoring program to inform any changes to the rule. Temporary, dynamic speed zones around areas specific to the locations of NARWs is a much more reasonable and effective approach to conserving whales than a difficult to enforce, draconian blanket speed zone along most of the Atlantic Coast whether whales are present or not.
“We applaud Senators Manchin and Graham for their continued leadership to identify realistic solutions for the North Atlantic right whale while ensuring reasonable access to the Atlantic Ocean for millions of anglers and boaters,” said Chris Horton, CSF’s Senior Director of Fisheries Policy. “When the current rule was published back in 2008, NOAA officially said that the use of technology to mitigate the problem is preferable and should be pursued. Yet, the agency has nothing to show in the 16 years since in that regard. Senators Manchin and Graham are looking to change that with the help of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.”
Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Members Representative Buddy Carter and Representative Mary Peltola introduce companion legislation (H.R. 8704) in June.
