The proposed changes, which they argued could hurt the fishing and boating industries and other related businesses.

After two years of debate and 90,000 public comments, NOAA withdrew a contentious boat speed rule aimed at Atlantic right whale conservation.

Federal regulators are abandoning a proposal to expand ocean speed limits that were designed to protect North Atlantic right whales. The whales, which give birth off Georgia’s coast in the winter, are nearing extinction;

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Biden administration gives up on lower ocean speed limits to protect right whales on Jan 17, 2025.

The speed limit rule for boats 35 feet or longer was initially rolled out in 2022 and sat at the White House for 11 months without final action.

NOAA has withdrawn vessel speed rule changes aimed at strengthening protections for North Atlantic right whales, drawing mixed reactions.

The rule would have limited boats as small as 35 feet to 10 knots when North Atlantic right whales were migrating through NC's near-shore waters.

The proposed rules would have slowed more ships to prevent collisions with endangered North Atlantic right whales.

After conservationists pushed for more, NOAA Fisheries withdrew a proposal that would have expanded boat speed limits and protected North Atlantic Right Whales.