The Biden administration on Thursday withdrew a proposal to expand protections for endangered whales. The rules would have required some ships along the East Coast to slow down.
North Atlantic right whales, a rare species conservationists are trying to save, have been injured or killed in ship collisions along the East Coast. In August 2022, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed rules that would lower the risk of whale strikes by expanding existing slow zones and regulating more types of vessels. But after a heated public debate over the rules and with just days left in President Biden's term, the agency canned the proposed changes.
The service received more than 90,000 public comments regarding the rule changes, according to an agency filing published Thursday in the Federal Register.
“Despite best efforts, due to the scope and volume of public comments, NMFS does not have sufficient time to finalize this regulation under the current administration,” the agency said in its filing.
The issue was particularly contentious in Massachusetts because the state has extensive coastline and a major fishing industry.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat who opposed the measure, celebrated its repeal.
“This decision is good news for the residents and businesses of Cape Cod and the islands, and we look forward to continuing to work together to protect right whales and the local economy,” Healey said in a statement.
The rule could also affect ferry service to destinations such as Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
Conservation groups decried the withdrawal, saying it would further jeopardize the recovery of right whales in the North Atlantic.
Jessica Redfern, a conservation scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston, said in a statement: “Without stronger anti-ship measures in place, these animals are at risk of further extinction.” “If right whales are to survive, they need immediate, decisive and effective solutions to protect them from preventable death.”
The National Marine Fisheries Service reported that since 2017, there have been 15 ship strikes, 15 fatal and 7 non-fatal, but all whale deaths are easily recorded. Not that you can. In October, the agency estimated that only about 370 right whales remained by 2023.
The existing boundaries of seasonal low-speed zones and rules limiting speeds for some ship classes will remain in place. These areas include the waters off Cape Cod, the bays that dot the mid-Atlantic, and most of the coastline off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia.
President-elect Donald J. Trump, who takes office on Monday, is unlikely to prioritize similar rules to save endangered species.
In recent weeks, he has made inaccurate claims that he believes the Delta smelt, an endangered fish, are being needlessly protected to hinder efforts to contain the Los Angeles wildfires.
Trump has long accused offshore wind farms of killing whales during his campaign, but there is no scientific evidence to back up his claims. In early January, he announced plans to halt construction of new wind farms.
