24
Fri, Jan

APA Applauds Withdrawal of NARW Speed Restriction Regulations

World Maritime

On January 16, 2025, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) formally withdrew its August 1, 2022, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that sought amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike

On January 16, 2025, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) formally withdrew its August 1, 2022, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that sought amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule that would have had the unintended consequences of endangering pilots, weakening navigation safety, and damaging the maritime supply chain on the East Coast.

While the American Pilots’ Association (APA) announced that it welcomes the proposal’s withdrawal, the national association of the maritime piloting profession also made clear it views this not as an end point, but rather as a new opportunity for continued collaboration with NMFS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on innovative ways, including looking at using existing and emerging technologies, to better protect North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW).

“For several years, APA has urged NOAA and NMFS to better leverage technology for NARW protection rather than blanketing the entire East Coast with mandatory 10 knot speed restrictions for vessels as small as 35ft,” said APA President Captain Jorge Viso. “We are hopeful the withdrawal of the 2022 NPRM is a sign NOAA is heeding our advice.”

The proposed amendments, which met bipartisan opposition from Congress and immediate backlash from nearly all

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