NOAA issues final whale regulation

NOAA issues final whale regulation The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has published a final version of a rule designed to reduce ships striking the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.
   The new rule requires vessels to travel at 10 knots or less during the seasons whales are expected to be present, in designated areas along the East Coast.
   It will be up for renewal in five years, after scientists assess its effectiveness. The rule will go into effect in early December, 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
   In the mid-Atlantic area, the 10-knot speed restrictions will extend out to 20 nautical miles around major ports. NOAA’s Fisheries Service researchers report that about 83 percent of right whale sightings in the mid-Atlantic were within 20 nautical miles of shore. The rule also establishes temporary voluntary speed limits in other areas when an aggregation of three or more right whales is confirmed.
   More information about the rule is available at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike/.