Environmental advocates, incensed by recent reports of ships speeding through slow zones meant to protect whales, are calling on NOAA to establish year-round navigation standards for all coastal waters.
The Ocean Foundation and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) on Wednesday filed a rulemaking petition with NOAA, urging the agency to create “whale safety zones” for all large ships, with mandatory speed limits and other preventive measures.
The petition, the first to propose a nationwide minimum standard to reduce vessel collisions with whales, comes as whale species — particularly the endangered North Atlantic right whale — face increased risks from larger, noisier and faster ships.