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NOAARulemakingNOAA-NMFS-2022-0022

Amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule

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Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filings
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Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed 1 comment on this docket between Nov 23, 2022 and Nov 23, 2022. 109 other organizations filed here. The comment window closed 1366d ago.

What Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed (1)

Nov 23, 2022· Comment from Southern Environmental Law Center· NOAA-NMFS-2022-0022-20540

The Southern Environmental Law Center submits the attached comments on behalf of 24 conservation groups in response to the National Marine Fisheries Service's Proposed Rule to Amend the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule. As organizations working to protect the wildlife and natural resources of the Southeast, we applaud the agency in its proposal to strengthen current protections for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. We urge the agency to use the full scope of its authorities to act quickly to implement strong, science-based vessel strike protection measures as soon as possible. Thank you for the consideration of these comments.

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Abstract

NMFS is proposing changes to the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) vessel speed rule to further reduce the likelihood of mortalities and serious injuries to endangered right whales from vessel collisions, which are a leading cause of the species’ decline and a primary factor in an ongoing Unusual Mortality Event. The proposed rule would: 1) modify the spatial and temporal boundaries of current speed restriction areas referred to as Seasonal Management Areas (SMAs), 2) include most vessels greater than or equal to 35 ft (10.7 m) and less than 65 ft (19.8 m) in length in the size class subject to speed restriction, 3) create a Dynamic Speed Zone framework to implement mandatory speed restrictions when whales are known to be present outside active SMAs, and 4) update the speed rule’s safety deviation provision. Changes to the speed regulations are proposed to reduce vessel strike risk based on a coastwide collision mortality risk assessment and updated information on right whale distribution, vessel traffic patterns, and vessel strike mortality and serious injury events. Changes to the existing vessel speed regulation are essential to stabilize the ongoing right whale population decline and prevent the species’ extinction.

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Co-filers (109)

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