US EditionU.S. proposal to change safety measure for endangered whales draws criticism from Canada
NOAA aims to ease economic burdens with proposed rule changes while environmental groups warn that the North Atlantic right whale population remains under 400 and vulnerable to ship strikes.
- Wednesday, March 5, 2026, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced plans for business-friendly changes to rules protecting North Atlantic right whales, with Neil Jacobs saying the move seeks to 'allow maritime commerce to coexist with endangered species.'
- The 2008 speed-limit regulation requires most vessels 20 metres or longer to travel at 10 knots or less in certain U.S. East Coast management areas at specified times of year, and NOAA's proposal seeks to modify that long-standing slow-speed framework to reduce regulatory burdens.
- Industry groups described the rules as 'archaic' and pushed for technology, while American and Canadian environmental groups criticized NOAA's proposal and experts said whale-detection technologies remain experimental.
- Moira Brown said relaxing the rule would undo 40 years of work, while Canada maintains speed limits mainly in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with the North Atlantic right whale population under 400.
- NOAA is seeking public input on changes that could affect whale protections, as conservation advocates warn 'Right whales need all the help they can get.
16 Articles
16 Articles
U.S. considers changing regulations designed to protect North Atlantic right whales
The director of science at the Canadian Whale Institute, Moira Brown, says speed limits for ships are not enough to prevent collisions with whales, but the proposal to remove them is a "huge conservation setback."
U.S. proposal to change safety measure for endangered whales draws criticism from Canada
Environmental groups in the United States and Canada are sounding the alarm about a U.S. government proposal to change a regulation that was introduced to protect a critically endangered species of whale.
Endangered whales: U.S. proposal to change safety measure draws criticism from Canada - Halifax
Environmental groups are sounding the alarm about a U.S. government proposal to change a federal regulation introduced in 2008 to protect a critically endangered species of whale.
Environmental groups in the U.S. and Canada are warning about a U.S. government proposal to amend regulations to protect a species of whales at critical risk of extinction.
Winnipeg Free Press
Endangered whales: U.S. proposal to change safety measure draws criticism from Canada
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
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