Proposed coastal speed limit

There is always a bigger picture to look at when faced with another wall placed in front of you.
Some views that comes to my mind;
Whales were hunted long ago, most to the edge of extinction.
Not so long ago, U S area waters stopped whale hunting whales. Other parts of the world (not all) stopped hunting whales.
Since not so long ago, whale population started to increase.
I am assuming these right whales are a part of the now non-hunted and breeding pods of whales.

From the article;
Since 2005, there have been at least five incidents of recreational boats colliding with right whales in the Southeast,” according to Georgia officials. “Those include a 43-foot Grand Banks (recreational trawler) off Georgia in 2005 – the adult female whale later died – and a 30-foot Pursuit (sportfishing boat) off South Carolina in 2009,

Scars and other injuries noted by whale observers indicate there are many more close encounters with vessels

How fast does a GB43 go??
I consider these numbers low.

My view #1; How is the very low contact between humans and these whales effecting their mortality?
I don't think much.
Anybody have a real count of the pod populations and what real direction these numbers are really going?

My view #2; How much time, money, laws were wasted protecting the Florida gator until somebody realized they were counting them wrong?
The gator hunting season just opened last weekend. Just like the near extinct deer, they are hunted to keep the number deliberately down.
Now, you pay the governments (employment agencies) to go hunting.

My view #3; How much time, money, laws were wasted, and ABUSES protecting the Indian manatee until somebody realized they were counting them wrong?
Ummm,,back soon,, manatee chili.

My view #4; How much time, money, laws were wasted and ABUSES by the law makers who had poor knowledge of any subject and really had other objectives in mind when forming another wall for us to climb?
You know something is up, What are these other objectives; Save fuel? Slow speed for the new offshore wind farms? Something more sinister?

There is something stinking here and it's not fish or whales.
,Ralph

that smell is the swamp. That’s what is stinking. It’s the bureaucrats expanding their power every way possible. Whether NOAA and the whales, all the agencies, experts, academics cashing in on global warming, the list goes on.

More news
These buoys are going to do what? Help count whales?



French ocean carrier CMA CGM has announced the deployment of the first buoys that will aid in the protection of endangered North Atlantic right whales from ships strikes along the U.S. East Coast.

CMA CGM is partnering with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the effort. The two entered into a partnership in March with the aim of increasing right whale detection efforts along the East Coast.

With funding from CMA CGM, WHOI researchers sought to assemble and deploy two near real-time passive acoustic monitoring buoys off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia and Savannah, Georgia.

The second of the two buoys was deployed today approximately 39 miles off the coast of Savannah. The first arrived on location off Norfolk in July. The locations were chosen because the ports are among the busiest in the United States, which often puts ships directly in the path of migrating whales.

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species. The latest estimates suggest there are fewer than 350 remaining, with less than 100 reproductively active females, according to NOAA.

For decades, vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing gear have been the two primary causes of right whale injury and death.

With that in mind, NOAA Fisheries recently announced proposed changes to vessel speed regulations to further protect North Atlantic right whales from collision.

There's more



NOAA— NOAA Fisheries has announced proposed changes to vessel speed regulations to further protect North Atlantic right whales from death and serious injuries resulting from collisions — part of a multifaceted approach to stabilize and recover this endangered population. The changes would expand the current mandatory seasonal speed restrictions of 10 knots or less in designated areas of the ocean and extend to most vessels measuring 35 to 65 feet in length.

In addition, the agency is releasing a draft “roadmap” for public comment about on-demand, or “ropeless” fishing gear, that outlines possible ways to increase the use of this technology in commercial fisheries off the East Coast of the United States. The draft roadmap leverages lessons from fisheries using on-demand gear that are emerging around the world.

“These two efforts are part of our North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery, a strategy that encapsulates all of our ongoing work across the agency and in collaboration with our partners and stakeholders to conserve and rebuild the North Atlantic right whale population,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries and acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere at NOAA. “Despite the many challenges we face, including climate change, we must find solutions to mitigate the threats to marine mammals while supporting the livelihoods and economies of our fishing communities who put healthy food on our tables.”

For decades, vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing gear have been the two primary causes of right whale injury and death. Researchers found that between 2003 and 2018, in cases where a cause of death could be determined, all juvenile and adult right whale deaths were attributable to human activities. Beyond the first year of life, right whales are not living long enough to die of natural causes. Scientists declared an “Unusual Mortality Event” for North Atlantic right whales in 2017, which is defined as a significant die-off of a marine mammal population, requiring immediate response. In just the last two and a half years, at least four vessel strikes have killed or seriously injured North Atlantic right whales in U.S. waters.

The proposed vessel speed changes would incorporate additional vessels 35 to 65 feet in length and broaden the spatial boundaries and timing of the seasonal speed restriction areas along the East Coast of the United States. Vessels less than 65 feet in length account for five of the 12 documented lethal strike events in U.S. waters since the first speed rule went into effect in 2008, demonstrating the significant risk this vessel size class presents and the need to extend the speed restrictions to include smaller vessels.

The draft “ropeless roadmap” identifies the status and remaining research and technology needs for on-demand fishing gear, and includes considerations of the economic, safety, operational, regulatory and enforcement challenges and opportunities related to implementing on-demand fishing. On-demand systems provide an alternative to seasonal fishery closures that are used to substantially reduce the risk of marine animal entanglement in fixed gear trap/pot fisheries. These fisheries typically use rope to connect surface buoys to gear on the ocean floor so it can be retrieved.

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species. The latest preliminary estimates suggest there are fewer than 350 remaining, with less than 100 reproductively active females. Vessel strikes, fishing gear entanglements, climate change and other threats all pose challenges to this imperiled species. Working collaboratively, NOAA Fisheries and our partners are dedicated to conserving and rebuilding the North Atlantic right whale population through a variety of innovative techniques to study, protect, and recover these endangered whales.

Hey this is great… save the owls, the bears, the manatees, the whales… whatever. But who is paying for this ? Who is paying for all the NOAA studies and scientists and bureaucrats? Who is paying for CMA CGM to deploy buoys and whatever? Not CMA CGM… the shippers. And who is paying for increased shipping costs ? The consumers. Anybody wondering why we are facing 40 years high inflation?

while the chicom are polluting and destroying their side of the planet? I m glad I just turn 60… I feel
Bad for my kids and grandkids kids though.

I've been watching this thread hoping somebody would say how the Gov / law enforcement was going to enforce this regulation? Satellites? AIS?Radar? The buoys being placed seem to be watching for whales, not speeding vessels and that's more than a few million square miles to patrol out there and electronics can be turned off so it would certainly spread human maritime resources beyond thin. I can't envision enforcement actually patrolling for this but can envision a scenario if they see someone doing 20 kts they'll chase them down at 30 kts and write them up and at that point what will the fine be? Anything in print on that or is that still in the incubation stage?

The text posted, #28, did not really mention much of htf it works or really wtf it does.
How is that expensive thingie going to watch for whales and pass it on, to who, with what data?
A big fish is close, everybody stop!!!!