Georgia Mountain News

The House Natural Resources Committee has passed a bipartisan bill, led by Representatives Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) and Mary Peltola (D-AK), to delay funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) proposed speed restrictions for boats measuring 35 to 65 feet. The delay will remain until the Department of Commerce can fully implement new monitoring systems for North Atlantic right whales through funding authorized in this bill.

“NOAA believes that protecting right whales requires killing the recreational boating and fishing industries. I submit that we can protect both, which is why I’m proud that the House Natural Resources Committee passed this important piece of legislation. There is technology that exists to track right whales, and we must implement it before endangering boaters’ and harbor pilots’ lives with unworkable speed restrictions. I urge a swift vote on the House floor so we can get these critical safeguards signed into law,” said Rep. Carter.

“NOAA’s proposed speed restriction rule would completely devastate coastal economies across the southeast, not to mention the rule isn’t even based on science. Congressman Carter has championed efforts pushing back against this disastrous rule and trusting the science when it comes to speed restrictions along our coasts. His legislation will also support innovative technologies and practices to limit vessel strikes and support a healthy population or right whales,” said Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR).

“Alaskans understand the delicate balance between protecting marine life and supporting maritime industries. This bill strikes a necessary balance, ensuring that commerce and conservation can move forward together, benefiting both our economy and our environment,” said Rep. Peltola.

H.R. 8704 follows concerns raised by boaters, harbor pilots, and business owners about new safety regulations designed to protect right whales from extinction. These regulations are seen as posing safety risks for commercial vessels, threatening up to 340,000 American jobs, and negatively impacting nearly $84 billion in economic contributions.

“We strongly support Representatives Carter and Peltola in their leadership to advance bipartisan legislation centered around technological solutions to protect marine life while prioritizing boater safety and supporting coastal economies,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, President and CEO of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). “This legislation represents a critical step forward in preventing NOAA’s flawed vessel speed rule from going into effect, and identifies bipartisan, viable alternatives to solve a complex conservation issue. We urge Congress to move this bill through the legislative process to protect U.S. boaters, American jobs, and marine life.”

“As the sportfishing industry continues to face uncertainty about anglers’ ability to continue accessing the Atlantic Ocean due to NOAA’s disastrous vessel speed proposal, we are grateful for the leadership of Reps. Carter, Peltola, and the bill’s other bipartisan cosponsors for continuing to push back through H.R. 8704,” said Glenn Hughes, President of the American Sportfishing Association. “This legislation will support technology to minimize the already extremely rare occurrences of right whale strikes by small vessels while preventing economically devastating vessel speed restrictions from going into effect. We continue to question the value of unenforceable speed restrictions as a viable option but rather recognize technology to identify whale locations and share that information with boaters in real time as the best way to reduce risk of strikes.”

Read full bill text here.

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