East Coast Extreme Vessel Speed Reduction Update

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have proposed a 10 mph speed limit for all vessels 35 feet and longer. While this proposal is still under review and has NOT yet been implemented, a 10 mph limit ALREADY applies to vessels 65 feet and longer as of […]

New Proposed Rule: Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Electronic Reporting Requirements

NOAA Fisheries is proposing new logbook requirements for vessel owners holding specific HMS permits, including Charter/Headboat, Atlantic Tunas General category, and Swordfish General Commercial permits. Additionally, the proposal includes modifications to reporting options for private recreational vessel owners with HMS Angling permits. For individuals with an HMS Angling permit, the proposed rule mandates that reporting […]

Proposed Rule to Designate Critical Habitat for Endangered Rice’s Whales

NOAA announced a proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the endangered Rice’s whale under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) even though a decision on the vessel speed in the Gulf of Mexico has not been finalized. The proposed critical habitat designation and the Rice’s whale vessel speed petition are unrelated actions. Critical habitat is designated under the ESA, and the requirement to designate critical habitat for the Rice’s whale was triggered by its 2019 listing as an endangered species. The proposed critical habitat includes Gulf of Mexico waters between 100 and 400 meters depth and this critical habitat would guide federal agencies