Right Whales Need Your Help!

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Comment period open for possible deregulation of federal rule regarding speed restrictions to protect North Atlantic Right Whales.

Breaching North Atlantic Right Whale

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is accepting public comments until June 2, 2026 as they consider deregulating the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule established in 2008. This rule set in place seasonal and mandatory vessel speed restrictions in designated areas along the East Coast of the US in an attempt to reduce the risk of vessel collisions with this critically endangered species. 

This population was decimated by commercial whaling in the early 1900.s for this species is slow-moving, often travels and feeds close to shore, and has so much blubber under it's skin that it floats when killed. These features and characteristics is how they got their common name "Right Whale" for they were the right whale to kill. Currently, the biggest threats to their continued survival include vessel strikes, entanglements in fishing gear, and impacts of climate change (warming waters that impact prey populations and distribution). 

In the 1970's, this species finally received federal protection in US waters with the passage of two landmark pieces of legislation - the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. These laws allowed right whale populations to slowly increase from only 300 individuals in 1980 to almost 500 individuals in 2010.  Since 2010, population numbers have decreased and only recently has there been a slight increase in the number of individuals off our shores. 


Right Whale Population Estimate 1990-2023

In 2008, the Federal rule now in question requires any vessel 65 feet or greater to reduce their speed to 10 knots or less in designated Seasonal Management Areas and to comply with the voluntary Dynamic Management Areas program (Slow Zones).North Atlantic Right Whales feed in high latitude waters in the spring and summer (Canadian and northern US waters) and then females migrate south in the fall to give birth off the coasts of Georgia and Florida. Some juveniles and males also make the migration south, but not all individuals will make this annual journey. 


NOAA's reason for examining this rule and possibly eliminating it is based on new initiatives meant to reduce unnecessary regulatory and economic burdens on the commercial shipping industry.  
As indicated by Neil Jacobs, NOAA;s administrator and an appointee of President Trump, “NOAA encourages economic prosperity in our oceans, and advancements in technology are increasingly allowing maritime commerce to coexist with endangered species,” Jacobs also indicated that deregulation is an important step in implementing President Donald Trump's vision of adopting modern technologies, supporting American industry, and promoting efficient and effective regulations.

There are many state, and nongovernment organizations working on advances in technology that can help detect the presence of right whales in local waters. And many organizations are working with fishing and shipping industries to advance technologies to better detect right whales in Canadian and US waters and to reduce entanglements through on-demand fishing gear.  
But time is running out for this species and all conservation measures are needed to save then North Atlantic Right Whale from extinction. No one method, regardless of how techno savvy it is, will detect every individual right whale found along our shores. If we want right whales to survive given their critically endangered status, we need all types of protective measures, including vessel strike mitigation (speed restrictions), entanglement prevention measures (on-demand fishing gear), and passive acoustic monitoring.

It is up to us to act and to act NOW! Time is running out for this species and each one of us can get involved to save this amazing animal that lives, feeds, mates, gives birth, nurses it young, and socializes with other right whales along our east coast. We don't want to live in a world that does not include right whales for once they become extinct, there is not coming back. 

Please take time to learn more about the North Atlantic Right Whale and its struggle for survival. You can submit your comment by clicking on the link below. 

SUBMIT YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT:
To submit a public comment, click HERE to go to the federal government website

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
For information and resources on the North Atlantic Right Whale, check out the links below. 
North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium  
New England Aquarium 
Oceana - Press Release on Right Whale Numbers
NOAA Fisheries Species Directory for the North Atlantic Right Whale 

 

 



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