The partnership between Grist and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR station, has shed light on the ongoing efforts to protect the North Atlantic right whales from vessel strikes. Since 2008, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has implemented speed restrictions on ships 65 feet and longer when passing through areas frequented by these endangered whales.
The primary threats to right whales are vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, with climate change exacerbating their decline. Warming ocean temperatures have disrupted their food sources, leading to fewer calves and driving them into areas with limited protections. With only a few hundred whales left in the population, each birth or loss is crucial for their survival.
Despite the implementation of speed limits, the right whale population has struggled to maintain a sustainable calving rate. In 2017, an “unusual mortality event” occurred in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence, resulting in the deaths of 43 whales and injuries to 127 others. The incident prompted Canada to enact vessel restrictions, but deaths have continued in both US and Canadian waters.
Now, the Trump administration is considering rolling back the speed restrictions further. NOAA is exploring a “deregulatory-focused modernization” of the rule, aiming to replace speed restrictions with alternative management areas and advanced technology-based strike-avoidance measures. These technologies include passive acoustic monitoring and infrared imaging to track whale movements.
While NOAA emphasizes the economic prosperity of oceans and the coexistence of maritime commerce with endangered species, critics argue that the existing rules are effective, and the new technology is unproven. Environmental groups and researchers question the reliability of untested technologies and advocate for the continuation of current regulations.
NOAA is currently seeking input on the proposed changes until June 2. The debate between protecting right whales and easing regulatory burdens on shipping industries continues, highlighting the delicate balance between conservation efforts and economic interests.
