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The proposed rule that would set ship speed limits in north Atlantic right whale habitat has been challenged by the shipping industry and the Bush White House has blocked it. Ship strikes have, for a long time, been seen as the second leading cause of death for the right whale.
The rule would set ship speeds of most ships over 60 feet long at 10 knots during key migration periods in these areas. The speed limit ruling was a result of eight years of negotiations and lawsuits between the National Marine Fisheries Service and conservationists. In what is seen as an unusual move, the White House Council of Economic Advisors has stalled the measure while it examines the science. The World Shipping Council criticized ship speed limits through the Office of Management and Budget. While it is common for the OMB to review new rules for economic impact, a research scientist at the New England Aquarium questioned the level of scientific expertise the OMB could possibly have and described the move as overstepping their bounds. The OMB move is seen as somewhat new, but consistent with actions by the White House in recent years. Shipping interests disputed the correlation between ship speed and severe injury in a collision with a whale. Oceanographers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia said reduced ship speeds do reduce the severity of impacts with whales and that it is simply a matter of physics. With the vessel much more massive than the whale, the speed of the vessel determines the impact force and the severity of the injuries to a whale. Reported ship strikes usually involve smaller ships, the scientists said, because larger ships don’t feel the strike. A slower moving ship would allow the whale greater opportunity to get out of the ship’s way. The OMB has missed two deadlines for delivering a final ruling. Maine Representative Tom Allen and Senator Susan Collins have both sent letters urging the Bush Administration to adopt the speed limit. But the administration continues to stall and conservationists think they may have no recourse to save the speed limit rule. |
