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Changes to the North Atlantic right whale vessel speed rule scrapped

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published January 16, 2025 at 10:29 AM EST
Biologists with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute say the mother, Juno, is about 38 years old and has successfully given birth to her 8th documented calf.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute
Biologists with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute say the mother, Juno, is about 38 years old and has successfully given birth to her 8th documented calf.

NOAA Fisheries has withdrawn proposed changes to the North Atlantic right whale vessel speed rule, which had been announced in July, 2022.

The rule would have restricted boats between 35 and 65 feet to 10 knots along much of the East Coast during the whales’ migration and calving season.

It was withdrawn yesterday on Wednesday.

NOAA officials are expected to share more information about the decision to take it off the table in the coming days.
Annette Weston
Annette is an award-winning journalist based in Eastern North Carolina. Her career includes professional stops across the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast, recently culminating in a 2026 Region 8 Edward R. Murrow Award for Small Market Radio Best News Series for her work on the Camp Lejeune Justice Act Series. Guided by a passion for human-interest storytelling, she focuses on narratives that touch hearts and connect communities. A mother of four and grandmother of two, Annette enjoys reading and creating epic Halloween costumes in her spare time. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston