US vessel speed restrictions

Vessels could be forced to reduce speeds to 10 knots if a new regulation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the USA gets given the go-ahead. The NOAA Fisheries Service is currently seeking comment on the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Ship Strike Reduction Rule to reduce the chances of ship whale strikes. Slow moving right whales are highly vulnerable to ship collisions, since their migration route crosses major East Coast shipping lanes.

The move is being hailed as the most comprehensive approach the NOAA has taken to regulate vessel operators in its effort to help right whale recovery. Amendments to the EIS include a vessel speed restriction of 10 knots or less in designated areas along the US East Coast. The speed limit would apply to right whale feeding grounds along the coast in the north-eastern US and to calving grounds near the south-eastern US.

In the mid-Atlantic area, where right whales migrate, the 10-knot speed restrictions would extend out to 37 kilometres around the major ports.

All vessels 19.8 metres and greater in overall length and subject to US jurisdiction would be required to abide by the operational measures. Representatives from the shipping industry, however, expressed concerns about complying with the speed restrictions during hazardous weather conditions and when transiting breakwaters or other confined areas. The NOAA said that proposed measures include an exemption that allows for a vessel, under severe conditions, to operate at a speed above the required 10 knots in order to manoeuvre safely but only if justified.

The NOAA’s Fisheries Service is soliciting comments on the final EIS until 29 September, 2008. The final rule will have an effective date 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.