ASA applauds withdrawal of ‘dire consequences’ legislation

Legislation that would have had ‘dire consequences’ for public access to fishing in one of the most popular coastal waters off the US has been withdrawn.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) this week formally withdrew the proposed North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Reduction Rule that would have limited boats larger than 35ft from travelling faster than 10 knots (11.5mph). The restrictions would have governed coastal waters from Massachusetts to Florida and been in effect for half a year.

“The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is pleased to see the draconian vessel speed rule sent back to the NOAA so that we can find a collaborative, long-term solution that effectively mitigates the potential for vessel strikes and incorporates innovative safety technologies,” said Mike Leonard (pictured), Vice President of Government Affairs at the ASA. “Restricting boat speeds off the Atlantic coast would have crushed the sportfishing industry and many coastal communities that rely on fishing and boating to support their economy.

“From its inception, the proposed rule was based on faulty science. Restricting speeds in open waters would make vessels vulnerable to capsising, or worse, due to the inability to safely navigate through rough seas or evade incoming storms. The NOAA largely ignored technologies that could help reduce vessel strikes, such as passive acoustic monitoring, infrared cameras, imagery, marine radar, forward-facing sonar, and crowdsourcing on the water observations. These technologies exist today and could be scaled quickly to provide real benefits for marine life, anglers, and boaters.

“We look forward to working with the Trump Administration, Congress, and other stakeholders to protect North Atlantic right whales, anglers, boaters, and the $230 billion sportfishing industry,” added Leonard.

“Thanks to the efforts of allies in Congress, the sportfishing industry, our partners, and the recreational fishing community, this burdensome and overreaching proposal has been shelved for the time being and we can collectively focus on what steps must come next to improve marine conservation and preserve public access.”