NOAA today announced that it is seeking comments by Friday, Sept. 30 on proposed changes to North Atlantic right whale protections, including modification of spatial and temporal boundaries of current speed restriction areas, inclusion of most vessels between 35-65 feet, creation of a Dynamic Speed Zone framework to implement mandatory speed restrictions when whales are known to be present outside active Seasonal Management Areas, and an update to the existing rule’s safety deviation provision.
In announcing the proposed rule, NOAA said that changes to existing regulations are “essential to stabilize the ongoing right whale population decline and prevent the species’ extinction.”
