Why It Matters: A recently discovered but little-known species of whale, called the Rice’s whale, in the northern Gulf of Mexico, is considered endangered and in need of protection. However, before the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) can even establish a plan and options to aid in the species recovery, they have been petitioned, with little justification, to establish a rule that would implement a 10-knot speed zone in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico for the entire year, including all sizes of vessels, and prohibit any passage in the area at night. CSF and our partners are calling on NMFS to establish real time monitoring protocols and partner with the angling and boating community on conservation measures that are more effective than arbitrary areas closures for vessels that have never been known to fatally strike Rice’s whales.
Highlights:
- The recreational fishing and boating community understands the importance of conserving the Rice’s whale, a species that has only been classified as a distinct species in the last two years but is now considered critically endangered.
- While vessel speed restrictions should be considered as a component of the overall strategy to mitigate impacts to endangered marine mammals, they should be dynamic and adaptive to the presence of the animals.
- CSF and members of the angling and boating community recently submitted comments in opposition to the petition while embracing our role in developing viable solutions that both conserve whales and protects access to fisheries resources in the Gulf of Mexico.
- The National Marine Fisheries Service is accepting comments on the petition until July 6, and comments can be submitted here.
On April 7, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) posted a petition in the Federal Register by several environmental organizations to implement a 10-knot speed zone for a large section of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) in order to protect the newly discovered Rice’s whale. The petition calls for the speed restriction to apply to vessels of any size, be in effect year-round, and prohibit any vessel from passing through the area at night. Given that there has not been a documented account of a recreational vessel fatally striking a Rice’s whale, the petition calls for measures that are unnecessarily precautionary and would have draconian implications for anglers from the Alabama-Florida line to Tampa Bay.
CSF and a coalition of recreational fishing and boating organizations submitted comments in opposition to the petition for rulemaking. Specifically, the coalition’s letter called for addressing known threats to the Rice’s whale population, developing a realistic recovery plan and implementation strategy, engaging all stakeholders in the Gulf to address conservation needs, differentiating the risk profiles of recreational versus commercial vessels, the need to first identify critical habitat and seasonal movements of Rice’s whales, and the need to focus more on technology as a sustainable solution, among others.
“Similar to the North Atlantic right whale conservation needs, the solution for mitigating against potential vessel strikes in the Gulf lies with embracing technology and enlisting the willing help of recreational anglers and boaters in avoiding areas where whales are present,” said CSF President and CEO, Jeff Crane. “However, since there has never been a documented Rice’s whale fatality caused by a recreational boat, the petition to implement a massive speed zone for all vessels offers no remedy at all, but instead would have far-reaching and unnecessary negative implications for angler access and coastal economies in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico.
The National Marine Fisheries Service is accepting comments on the petition until July 6, and comments can be submitted here.
