The Trump administration eyes changes to Whale Protection Rules, and federal officials are weighing whether to ease up on speed limits for ships, limits that are supposed to keep endangered North Atlantic right whales safe from being hit. Conservationists are sounding the alarm; there are just about 380 of these whales left, and they’re already on the edge. This debate really picked up after the Trump administration started looking into whether to change the current ship speed rules in places where the whales travel.

What Changes Are Being Considered to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales?

The proposed change in the regulations is currently under examination by the National Marine Fisheries Service, a U.S. Department of Commerce agency. Instead of relying on speed regulations, the agency is considering other options to prevent ship collisions with the whales, which could utilize technology to monitor the presence of the whales and prevent collisions.

• Replacement of Seasonal Speed Restrictions: The agency has been examining the possibility of replacing the seasonal speed regulations for vessels with designated areas for whale management, in which regulations would come into effect only in the presence of the whales.
• Use of Technology-Based Monitoring: The agency has been examining the possibilities of utilizing technology to prevent ship collisions with the whales.
• Public Comment Period: The agency has opened a 90-day period for information and public comment on the proposed regulations, during which opinions from experts and industry will be sought.
• Focus on Vessel Strike Prevention: The primary concern for the whales, along with ship collisions, is their entanglement in fishing gear.

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Why Are Conservation Groups Concerned?

Conservationists in marine environments worry that any change to the speed limits will increase the number of vessel strikes on a species that already has very few left. With an estimated 380 North Atlantic right whales still living, a small increase in mortality has a significant impact on the possibility of recovery for this population.

Groups concerned with the environment feel that the seasonal speed limits have been the best way to prevent collisions and do not believe the new systems will be able to provide adequate enforcement with respect to protection in areas where whales migrate or feed randomly.

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How Do These Proposals Compare With Previous Regulations?

In the past, the administration of the former President of the United States, Joe Biden, proposed tougher vessel speed restrictions to protect whales by expanding the areas where ships should slow down to reduce the number of whale strikes. However, the proposal has not been finalized, leaving the existing measures in place.

Currently, the new measures under consideration by the NMFS may not rely on the same seasonal restrictions as before but could instead rely on adaptive management zones as well as technology-based detection systems to protect the whales. The Trump administration eyes changes to Whale Protection Rules, seeking to address the economic concerns of the shipping industry, and the whale protection debate is growing heated.

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