Proposal on Ship Speeds in Whale Areas

The Department of Commerce proposed to limit oceangoing ship speeds to 10 knots within 20 nautical miles of the Atlantic ports along migration routes of the endangered right whale.

The recommendations, in an environmental impact statement, reduced the geographic scope of the protections that were proposed two years ago but left the original speed limits intact. Release of the recommendation for seasonal restrictions on the speed of commercial vessels heading in and out of ports from New York to Savannah, Ga., clears the way for possible final adoption of these mandates. On average, about one to two right whales died in collisions with seagoing ships annually from 1997 to 2001. The animals give birth to their calves off the Florida coast in the winter and then migrate north, through heavily trafficked shipping areas, to feeding grounds off New England. The decision was greeted with little enthusiasm by environmentalists, who felt that it did not sufficiently protect the whales. The World Shipping Council, which represents commercial shippers, was also cool to the final speed limit, but the area covered in the recommendation did follow what it had sought. In its 2006 comments on the proposed rule, the trade group argued against a 30-nautical-mile buffer, saying that limit was unwarranted. The group said “the extra cost burden on liner shipping would be reduced by half” with a limit of 20 nautical miles.
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