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FOGHORN
PHOTO: NOAA FISHERIES
NEWSWIRE
T
he National Oceanic and At-
mospheric 
Administration 
(NOAA) is considering possi-
ble deregulatory action to modify and 
modernize the North Atlantic Right 
Whale Vessel Speed Rule. The goal of 
this initiative is to reduce unnecessary 
regulatory and economic burdens on 
the regulated community by replacing 
current seasonal speed restrictions with 
alternative management areas and ad-
vanced, technology-based, strike-avoid-
ance measures that maintain or enhance 
conservation efficacy for the endan-
gered North Atlantic right whale.
The current rule, adopted in 2008, re-
quires most vessels 65 feet or greater in 
length to operate at 10 knots or less in 
designated Seasonal Management Ar-
eas (SMAs) during periods when right 
whales are most likely to be present. 
NOAA also administers a voluntary 
Dynamic Management Area (DMA) 
or “Slow Zone” program to address 
whale aggregations detected outside 
the seasonal zones.
In its notice, the NMFS is considering 
a “deregulatory modernization” of the 
existing rule. The agency is exploring 
whether seasonal speed restrictions 
could be modified or replaced with 
alternative management areas and tech-
nology-based strike avoidance tools that 
would reduce collision risk while min-
imizing unnecessary regulatory and 
economic burdens on vessel operators.
As part of this review, NOAA is seek-
ing information and public comment 
on several topics, including:
• The effectiveness and readiness of 
technologies designed to reduce 
vessel strikes with whales
• Differences in strike risk among 
vessel size classes
• The potential use of dynamic  
or detection-based  
management areas in place of  
static seasonal zones
• Possible improvements to the rule’s 
safety deviation provisions
• The overall effectiveness and 
compliance levels associated with 
the current speed rule
• The economic impacts of the rule 
on vessel operators and coastal 
industries, including impacts on 
small businesses
NOAA notes that the North Atlantic 
right whale population remains criti-
cally small, with recent estimates indi-
cating approximately 380 individuals, 
including roughly 70 reproductively 
active females.
In 2025, the National Marine Fish-
eries Service (NMFS) withdrew a 
proposed regulation that would have 
imposed a 10-knot vessel speed limit 
on wide swaths of the Atlantic Ocean 
to protect endangered right whales 
from possible vessel strikes. In 2022, 
PVA submitted comments opposing 
this extreme proposal.
The public comment period for the 
ANPRM is open through June 2, 
2026. Additional information about 
the ANPRM and the current vessel 
speed rule can be found on the NOAA 
Fisheries website.
NEWSWIRE
NOAA Seeks Input to Modify and Modernize 
North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rules

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