The Trump administration is promising a “deregulatory-focused” update to the NOAA rule aimed at reducing the likelihood that boats will hit endangered North Atlantic right whales.
NOAA Fisheries on Tuesday submitted to a key White House office plans for initiating revisions to the existing rule that protects the whales from vessel strikes.
While details remain under wraps, the submission to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs revives a multiyear effort that collapsed at the end of the Biden administration. Once OIRA gives a green light, NOAA Fisheries will start through what’s called an advance notice of proposed rulemaking.
“This deregulatory-focused action will seek information from industry experts, coastal communities, and other relevant stakeholders on ways to reduce unnecessary regulatory and economic burdens while ensuring responsible conservation practices for endangered North Atlantic right whales,” Rachel Hager, a spokesperson with NOAA Fisheries, said in a statement Thursday.
