May 15, 2024 — It’s crunch time for a proposed amendment to a speed rule that would require even more boats to slow down to 10 knots over a much wider swath of the ocean to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
The fate of the rule, which was initiated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration two years ago, now lies in an executive department within the White House called the Office of Information and Regulatory Review.
“It’s reached the final step of the rule-making process,” said John Depersenaire, director of government affairs and sustainability for Viking Yachts in New Gretna, builders of custom boats between 33 and 90 feet, which would be impacted by the rule.
The rule has pitted environmentalists against vessel owners and operators, marine trades and fishing ports who find the rule overreaching. NOAA received over 90,000 written comments during the public comment period.