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National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and partners recently submitted petition from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) set year-round mandatory Speed limit 10 knots and other ship regulations for whale habitats in the Gulf of Mexico south of Florida.
Only with an estimate 50 Gulf of Mexico whales left, taking these measures immediately is critical to the survival of the whales.
Scientists at NOAA Fisheries published an article in January recognizing the Gulf of Mexico whale as a unique species. After the publication of this article, some scientists began calling it the “American whale,” as it is the only large whale found entirely off the coast of the United States. The species’ small population and the threats it faces in the industrialized waters of the Gulf of Mexico make it one of the most threatened whale species on Earth.
“One of the rarest and most endangered whales on the planet lives in our backyard, and we have a responsibility to save it,” said Michael Yasni, director of the NRDC Marine Mammal Protection Project. statement. “Slowing down ships in the whale habitat is more than common sense. This is elementary human decency. This is what we have to do for the neighbor. “
This species suffers more injuries and deaths from ship impacts than it can currently withstand, with at least one whale known to have died and others showing signs of injury. Whales spend most of their lives in the draft depths of most merchant ships, especially at night when they rest just below the surface. This makes them extremely vulnerable to fatal collisions with fast moving ships.
Mandatory deceleration will also reduce ship noise in the main whale habitat. Noise from ships is known to disrupt vital functions such as feeding and breeding, and creates chronic stress on whales that can damage their health and reduce their ability to reproduce.
The petition cites NOAA Fisheries’ commitment to Endangered Species Act as well as Marine Mammal Protection Act to protect the species from these threats. NOAA Fisheries previously demanded that ships slow down to protect the North Atlantic sea whale after discovering speed limits 10 knots will significantly reduce the likelihood of fatal strikes.
“Speed limits save endangered whales from fatal collisions with ships. They helped save the whales on the East Coast and they will help save the whales in the Gulf of Mexico from extinction, ”said Kristen Monsell, Legal Director of Oceans Center for Biological Diversity. “A simple slowdown in the whale habitat will give this great American whale a chance to fight.”
In addition to Speed limit 10 knots, the petition recommends requiring vessels not to pass through the main range at night when whales are resting near the surface; maintain a minimum distance 500 meters from sighted whales; and control the water around the vessel when moving through the speed zone. Similar measures were taken last year by NOAA Fisheries for oil and gas vessels operating in the main habitat of this species far from the sea. Florida as well as Alabama, as necessary, so as not to jeopardize the continued survival of the species. NOAA Fisheries has yet to take action for other classes of vessels.
NRDC petitioned to include the whale in 2014, citing the small size of the species and the significant threats it faces from a number of human activities. After two lawsuits over agency delays, NOAA fishing listed the whale under Endangered Species Act in 2019. NRDC as well as Healthy bay litigation is currently underway over NOAA’s failure to identify critical whale habitat as required by the ESA.
Other threats to whales include the exploration and development of oil and gas fields, including from seismic explosions that NOAA fishing report in 2016 g. defined as a threat that can destroy or seriously worsen the situation of the population. The agency estimates that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed approximately 17% population. In 2019, a whale found dead near Sandy Key, in the Florida Everglades, is believed to have died from ingesting plastic.
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A US government message calling for new rules to help save the last 50 remaining whales in the Gulf of Mexico from ship collisions first appeared in World Animal News.
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