NOAA Withdraws Proposed Speed Restrictions

“This is a huge step forward for American boat manufacturers, coastal economies and outdoor enthusiasts across the U.S.,” NMMA’s Frank Hugelmeyer told Trade Only Today.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s withdrawal yesterday of a proposal to limit speeds for 35- to 65-foot boats off the Eastern Seaboard to 10 knots for seven months of the year to protect North Atlantic right whales has been met with relief and enthusiasm in the marine industry.

Since its introduction in August 2022, the controversial rule has faced fierce opposition. Chief among the complaints was that technological alternatives would better protect whales, while the restrictions would hurt companies, communities and cultures centered around the boating business.

News of the rule being shelved has been widely applauded.

“This is a huge step forward for American boat manufacturers, coastal economies and outdoor enthusiasts across the U.S.,” NMMA president and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer, a vocal critic of the proposal, told Trade Only Today in an e-mail. “The way this rule was drafted gave rulemaking a bad name and created an entirely preventable dynamic. Coastal communities are part of the fabric of this nation, and their livelihoods should never be put at risk by the federal government.”

Hugelmeyer asserted, as did many critics, that the rule relied on “incorrect assumptions and questionable data,” and failed to distinguish between large, oceangoing vessels and recreational boats.

“Most concerning,” he said, “the proposed rule completely ignored the advanced marine technologies available now that can best protect the North Atlantic right whale and prevent vessel strikes. The rule’s many blind spots would have created dire consequences for boater safety and accessibility, the economic vitality of coastal communities and marine manufacturers, and the livelihoods of countless supporting small businesses, all while undermining years of progress in marine conservation.”

Charter captains have said that the rule would have made some of their trips impossible, given the time it takes to get to productive offshore waters.

“We’re very happy that this legislation did not come into effect. It would have been crippling to my business over the winter months,” Capt. Greg Mayer, of Fishin’ Frenzy Charters in Nags Head, N.C., who fishes Gulf Stream waters throughout the year, told Trade Only Today. “Finally, legislators have looked at its consequences through the lens of small-business owners and how they would be affected.”

Implications of the rule, were it to be adopted, had manufacturers rightly concerned, as well, with the possibility of decreased demand for offshore boats in an already slowed market.

“This is great news for the industry,” Viking Yacht Co. president and CEO Pat Healey told Trade Only Today in an e-mail. “We all worked together to stop this government overreach and safeguard our rights to the ocean. This will not alter our goal to protect boaters and the whales through technology.

“We still have work to do with the speed restriction that’s in place now,” Healey added. “We will continue to push NOAA to have the current 10-knot limit for boats 65 feet and larger amended so that technology-based solutions can replace these speed limits, which have been in place since 2008.”

In its statement, NOAA said the withdrawal of the proposed rule was “in light of numerous and ongoing requests from the public for further opportunity to review and engage with the agency on the proposal,” and that NOAA does not have sufficient time to implement the rule “in this administration.” The agency suggests that efforts to protect whales would continue, perhaps with new proposals in the future.

“Now the work begins by the federal government to create a durable solution that uses state-of-the-art technology to protect our endangered whale species without jeopardizing the livelihoods of hardworking American businesses and families that rely on access to the Atlantic Ocean,” Hugelmeyer said, his response echoing throughout maritime communities.

This article originally appeared on Soundings Trade Only.

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Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/currents/noaa-withdraws-proposed-speed-restrictions

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