Overview
- NOAA published a proposal to replace long-standing 10‑knot limits for large vessels with dynamic measures driven by real‑time whale detections and notifications.
- The agency frames the change as reducing regulatory and economic burdens, with public comments open through June 2.
- Scientists and conservation groups argue detection tools like acoustic buoys, apps, and AI are not yet sufficient to prevent collisions without mandatory slowdowns.
- Existing rules still apply, including federal seasonal speed limits for vessels 65 feet and longer and Massachusetts’ 10‑knot cap in Cape Cod Bay through April.
- A Woods Hole buoy detected a right whale off Cape Ann, triggering a NOAA voluntary slow zone northeast of Boston through March 16, as the population remains around 380 animals with vessel strikes a leading threat.