NOAA proposes rule change to protect North Atlantic right whales

According to NOAA, the population of North American right whales has dwindled to a mere 350. Even more concerning is the fact that there are only 70 reproductively active females remaining. As a result, NOAA is proposing new regulations that would include boats 35 feet and bigger in an effort to protect these endangered creatures.

Action News Jax’s Jimmy Marlow spoke with a lifelong boat owner who says the proposed change doesn’t make sense in his opinion.

“I think it’s a great idea, but to limit it all the way down to 35 feet is a bit extreme,” Hauck stated.

Doug Hauck owns a 22-foot boat and says that he understands protecting North Atlantic right whales, but doesn’t agree with NOAA’s proposed rule change.

The new rule would include boats from 35 to 65 feet, limiting them to 10 knots in “seasonal management areas” along the east coast, from Massachusetts to central Florida, at different times of the year, for up to 7 months. In some places that could extend up to 90 miles off shore to avoid endangered right whales.

Doug Hauck noted how “a 35-foot boat is very maneuverable, and when a 35-foot boat is running it doesn’t really draft that much water. I don’t think it will have that much of an effect.”

Action news jax contacted the “center for sportfishing policy”, which says that since 2008 there have been five documented strikes of North Atlantic right whales by vessels under 65 feet in length, while there have been 5.1 million recreational fishing trips during the same period. They say assuming those whales were hit by a boat between 35 & 65 feet, there is less than a 1 in a million chance of a boat that size hitting a right whale.

Doug Hauck says less speed could affect the local fishing economy.

“A lot of charter captains that have 35-37 foot boats like mine, and they go off-shore fishing, if that rule goes into effect it could really affect their livelihood. Well, we can fish for 3, but it’s not fair for you to sit on the boat for 8,” Hauck said.

Noaa took comments on this proposal until October of last year and is currently reviewing them. They could take final action sometime this year.

To donate to help protect and save the North Atlantic right whales, click HERE.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.