April 10, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries announces a new voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area or DMA) east of Boston.
This DMA is based on an April 9, 2020, sighting of an aggregation of right whales from a Boston-area beach by private citizens.
Mariners, please go around these areas or go slow (10 knots or less) inside these areas where groups of right whales have been sighted.
East of Boston DMA is in effect through April 24, 2020.
42 47 N
42 05 N
70 26W
71 23W
Active Seasonal Management Areas (SMAs)
A mandatory speed restriction of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) is in effect in the following areas:
Mid-Atlantic: November 1-April 30
Cape Cod Bay: January 1-May 15
Off Race Point: March 1-April 30
Great South Channel: April 1 – July 31
More info on Seasonal Management Areas
Right Whales Are Migrating
North Atlantic right whales are on the move along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. NOAA is cautioning boaters and fishermen to give these endangered whales plenty of room. We are also asking all fishermen to be vigilant when maneuvering to avoid accidental collisions with whales and remove unused gear from the ocean to help avoid entanglements. Commercial fishermen should use vertical lines with required markings, weak links, and breaking strengths.
Right Whales in Trouble
North Atlantic right whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scientists estimate there are only about 400 remaining, making them one of the rarest marine mammals in the world.
North Atlantic right whales are NOAA Fisheries’ newest Species in the Spotlight. This initiative is a concerted, agency-wide effort to spotlight and save marine species that are among the most at risk of extinction in the near future.
In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an “Unusual Mortality Event,” which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.