The federal government is withdrawing the proposal that would More ships needed to slow down in East Coast waters to try to save an endangered species of whale, officials said Wednesday.
Will abandon this step in the waning days of the Biden administration Endangered North Atlantic right whale Conservation groups said it is on the verge of extinction as the Trump administration signals a shift from environmental protection to support for marine industries. But federal officials said there's no way to enforce the rules sooner newly elected president donald trump Will take charge on Monday.
New ship speed rules proposed by National Marine Fisheries Service More than two years ago it has been the subject of much debate among shippers, commercial fishermen and wildlife conservationists who have a stake in the fate of the whales. The whale, which is vulnerable to collisions with ships, numbers fewer than 380. Its population has decreased In recent years.
The Trump administration is likely to be less enthusiastic about new restrictions on shipping, said Gib Brogan, a campaign director for the conservation group Oceana.
“While we waited and watched the proposed rule move forward and ultimately stall, we have kept an eye on the water consequences of existing inadequate protections,” Brogan said. “And we've seen whales killed by speeding boats.”
thousands of public comments
The proposed rules would expand the slower areas of the East Coast as well as the size classes of boats and ships that must have slower speeds.
The Fisheries Service received nearly 90,000 public comments about them, according to documents published in the Federal Register on Thursday. The filing said the Service “does not have sufficient time to finalize this regulation in this administration due to the scope and volume of public comments.”
National Marine Fisheries Service spokeswoman Kathryn Silverstein said the final rule revising the North Atlantic right whale vessel speed rules rested with the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which reviews new rules before they are implemented. He confirmed that the Fisheries Service withdrew the rule on Wednesday.
Conservation groups have argued this for a long time Stricter vessel speed regulations are necessary to protect the whales, as warmer ocean waters appear to be causing the animals to stray from protected areas. The federal government first announced the proposal in summer 2022 and a coalition of environmental groups Lawsuit filed for trying to speed up The rules were finalized last year.
However, some shippers have argued that the rules may Economically devastating to the yachting and shipping industries.,
“This is a huge step forward for American boat manufacturers, coastal economies and outdoor enthusiasts across America,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the largest trade association in North America for the recreational boating industry. “The way this rule was drafted brought rulemaking into disrepute and created an entirely preventable situation.”
What to know about the North Atlantic right whale
Right whales are huge creatures ranging between 45 and 52 feet in length. According to NOAA, adults can weigh up to 70 tons. They are identified by the white calluses on their heads.
They were once numerous on the East Coast, but their numbers were decimated during the commercial whaling era. They have been a protected species for many years but their recovery has been slow.
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada/Marie-France Robichaud
The whales migrate from their breeding grounds in Florida and Georgia to feeding grounds in New England and Canada. Scientists have said the journey has become increasingly dangerous as the smaller creatures they eat seek cooler waters, causing whales to leave established protected areas.
Earlier this year, scientists were concerned after nearly a quarter of the world's population was spotted in the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale in an unusual and potentially dangerous location for them, CBS News Boston reported,
The New England Aquarium said at least 82 whales were spotted during research flights south of New York's Long Island in late July and August — hundreds of miles away. new England and Canadian waters where they are commonly seen in the summer.
Aquarium scientist Katherine McKenna told the station that scientists weren't sure why the whales were in the area, but it appeared they were chasing food.
“They are becoming more unpredictable in what they do in response to how ocean conditions are changing,” he said.
Why are these whales important?
According to the international nonprofit World Wildlife Fund, whales are at the top of the ocean's food chain and they help capture carbon from the atmosphere.
The right whale is one of six of the 13 great whale species that are classified as endangered or vulnerable.
They numbered more than 480 in 2010, but declined by more than 25% over the next decade. it is stuck up a little Recently, however, the animal remains critically endangered. The National Marine Fisheries Service said in documents that ship strikes “are a major cause of species decline”.
Conservation groups pushing to finalize the slower vessel speed rules said they were motivated by a spate of right whale collision deaths in recent years. In a high-profile case last year, a calf was trapped in the state of Georgia had head injuries According to government investigators, this is consistent with a plane attack.