Video overview: The clock is ticking – a rushed rule to implement 10-knot restrictions from Massachusetts to Florida for boats 35 feet and larger could devastate boating and sportfishing indust...
The clock is ticking – a rushed rule to implement 10-knot restrictions from Massachusetts to Florida for boats 35 feet and larger could devastate boating and sportfishing industry on the Atlantic Coast.
The National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency within NOAA, is proposing amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule that would:
• Broaden the current 10-knot speed limit to include boats 35 feet and larger (previously set at 65 feet) • Expand the zones from discrete calving areas to almost the entire East Coast as far out as 100 nautical miles • Extend the go-slow mandate for up to seven months a year
The odds of a vessel from 35 to 65 feet striking a right whale are less than one in a million. Help hit the pause button on this proposed rule and hear what The Buckskin Billfish has to say when discussing this proposed rule change with our very own HMY Yacht Sales Professional Tim Gredick.
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Hi, I'm Tim Retic, and I'm here with Cameron Rhoads from the Buckskin Billfish. Cameron, you've done a bunch of research on this new right whale migration rules that might come up. Currently, we're at a 65-foot or above in our area here, and then there's a chance it will go to 35 feet. Most people are worried about what's going to happen. What do you feel like we need to do as boaters and people in the industry? I definitely think that people have good reason to be concerned, and there's plenty of room for people to provide comment to that effect and share their concerns with the managers. So NOAA Fisheries or the National Marine Fisheries Service is the body that would actually roll out this proposed rule, which would include regulations on speed zone restrictions pretty much across the entire Atlantic coast, and ultimately, they're expanding the current zones. They're basically doubling them. So it's a really significant change, especially in certain areas further north of South Carolina. So here we're in South Carolina today. Our regulations wouldn't change all that much with the exception of having 35-foot vessels also be included in the rule. But further north, there are some areas where people might actually be restricted up to 70 to 100 miles off their coast where they can only travel at 10 knots, which if you've ever been on a sporty that has engine trouble, that's a long haul. And so it's definitely something that people should be concerned about, and I think there's plenty of room for people to speak up. The best way to do that is through public comment. NOAA Fisheries is not holding any in-person public comment opportunities at this time for this particular effort, but they do have a written public comment opportunity. It was initially supposed to close at the end of September, and that's when NOAA Fisheries would consider those public comments before moving forward and making a decision on whether they were actually going to roll this regulation out and put it into effect. But now, since they received so many public comments urging NOAA Fisheries to pump the brakes and allow people to have more time to learn about this potential rule and gather their thoughts and provide public comment, they've now extended that public comment period through the end of October. So there's ample opportunity for people to submit comment. All you need to do is really Google right whale restrictions, NOAA Fisheries, and it'll pop right up, and you can find the public comment link there that you can just go ahead and fill it out. We'll put some links in the bottom of the description. Perfect. So there's lots of ways people can get involved. I would say there's also the opportunity to contact your legislators in your state and talk to them about what your needs are and make sure that they go to NOAA Fisheries and represent you. But I think the really important thing is for stakeholders to present a united front on this issue. And rather than say that this is a ridiculous proposal and it's totally unfair and it shouldn't happen, people need to provide concrete direction on why this would be so impactful to fishermen across the entire Atlantic coast. And so we've seen recently various different groups have already gone ahead and put out information to the public. They're spreading the news and sharing the word. Groups like Viking Yachts was able to do that, and that is a significant push. I myself saw that on social media and was really encouraged to see groups like Viking pushing that kind of stuff out. And that's something any group that has a social media platform that cares about this and cares about boaters and anglers should do the same. Regardless of how you feel about the issue, right? We all really care about the protection of species off our coast. Nobody wants to see the demise of the North Atlantic right whale. But it's really important that management decisions that are made are also considering the drastic economic impacts to our fleets and that they're practical and they're based on sound science. And so, regardless of whether you how you feel about the issue, if you're pro whale or you really want to see that fishermen are better supported with this management decision, people need to speak up and people need to share the word with people that they have contact with in their communities. Is this something that they're going to follow with the satellites or AIS or what are they going to use? NOAA Fisheries and the Coast Guard are currently using AIS in order to issue tickets. And I spoke to a member of law enforcement with NOAA Fisheries about this recently, and they're also getting pushback from various groups since AIS is public, right? Anybody can access your AIS information. So certain organizations may be taking a look at the AIS data and then reaching out to NOAA Fisheries and saying, you're not issuing enough tickets because we're seeing all of these violations occurring. And so what's really happening in law enforcement is kind of put in this difficult position where they have access to this this tool AIS where they can issue tickets and make sure that people are complying with the law. But they're also having to kind of do it in a way that might not be the most comfortable for a lot of users. And some people might decide to just turn their AIS off, which has huge safety implications for everybody on the water. And that's not something anybody wants to see happen. So that's an area of this that I think makes people pretty uncomfortable and is likely to happen if law enforcement continues to utilize AIS in order to issue tickets. And in addition, typically when you're driving down the road and a cop sees you, you know, they actually have to see you when you're speeding and then they can cite you a ticket. If you're being observed by aerial surveillance, they indicate that on the side of the road. Well, that's not happening right if you're on the water and NOAA Fisheries now and the Coast Guard, they don't have to see you to send you a ticket in the mail. So when they see that you may have been speeding for whatever reason, whether warranted or not, they will then reach out to the owner of the vessel, confirm that it's your boat, and then they will send you a ticket in the mail for you to then pay. So it's a little bit weird because we're not necessarily used to that kind of law enforcement structure. And that's something that I think has been a serious concern for various people in the industry. And safety should be a priority. And this could ultimately lead to people making foolish decisions about their safety.