A National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration proposal would require many recreational boats along the East Coast to travel at just 10 knots for up to 90 miles from shore to protect the Right whale.
"This is asking boaters to go the speed of a bicycle, for any boat over 35 feet,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, President of the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
He warns the proposal increases a boat’s chances of capsizing, putting boater safety and the coastal economy at risk.
"When you think about a charter captain on the coast of North Carolina having to go only 10 knots out to a fishing ground, and what would normally be a three to a four hour round trip, that's now a 10 hour round trip before you even get to fish,” Hugelmeyer said.
And while all boaters care about ocean life, recreational boating isn’t often the cause of whale deaths.
He said, “Global research shows that the overwhelming majority of vessel strikes come from massive ocean-going ships and an encounter with a small recreational boat is exceedingly rare.”
Hugelmeyer said federal officials didn’t get input from boat makers and designers, and the NOAA proposal would create a massive boater safety risk, "Particularly these open hull Center console type boats are designed to outrun bad weather. They're designed to use speed to go through waves and go through strong currents and inlets, not to be sitting dangerous situation at the speed of a bicycle.”
Lawmakers are expected to discuss the Protecting Whales, Human Safety and the Economy Act this week. The bipartisan bill introduced last year would prohibit NOAA from capping the speed for small recreational boats and instead direct the agency to develop and implement strategies using modern technology to better protect the whales.
