
North Atlantic right whale #4120 documented with two lines exiting the left side of the mouth on December 9, 2024. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, taken under permit #27066.
HYANNIS – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has withdrawn its controversial proposal for vessel speed restrictions meant to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whales seen often around Cape Cod and the islands.
The rule would have modified boundaries of Seasonal Managment Areas (SMAs) where restrictions were already in place, includer smaller vessels greater than 35 feet in length in the class subject to the restrictions and implement mandatory restrictions in areas outside SMAs if whales are reported present.
New England Aquarium officials said NOAA withdrawing the proposal is a big blow to conservation efforts for the species numbering fewer than 370 individuals.
“Failing to implement stronger vessel strike protection measures puts these animals at further risk of extinction. To survive, right whales require immediate, decisive, and effective solutions to protect individuals from preventable deaths,” said Dr. Jessica Redfern, Associate Vice President of Ocean Conservation Science in the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.
The aquarium runs one of the longest standing study programs on right whales in the world.
Coastal communities like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard have voiced concern about goods and services being devastated by the rule if it had gone into effect without an exemption.