August 20, 2021 — Here’s an instance of the hypocrisy that too often gives the federal government a bad name, and it’s a whale of an example.
On one hand, the federal government has established the vessel speed rule that limits the speed of vessels in certain parts of the Atlantic Ocean to lessen any chance that these ships will strike and harm a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. On the other hand, the federal government has exempted its own fleet.
In other words, Uncle Sam is telling us: Do as I say, not as a I do. It might seem like a small matter, but it would be easy to change. And important to change, too. Because it’s clear more must be done to protect these creatures.
A recent report from the nonprofit conservation group Oceana found that almost 90% of all vessels passing through the ocean between Wilmington, N.C., and Brunswick, Ga., exceeded the 10-knot speed limit. That was the highest percentage along the East Coast. (The area off the Port of New York and New Jersey was next, with almost 80% of vessels there going more than the speed limit.)
While it’s unclear exactly how many of these speeding vessels are federally owned, some certainly were. The fastest one clocked was a U.S. Navy ship going almost 40 knots.
This much is clear: The faster the vessel, the greater the chance of it colliding with a right whale. Such collisions are among the leading causes of injury and death for the species (another being entanglement with fishing gear).