ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 10, 2022
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been reviewing the speed regulations it uses to protect North Atlantic right whales and will publish new proposed rules within the coming weeks. A public comment process would follow. Environmentalists have long pushed for stricter shipping rules to protect the whales, which number less than 340 and are vulnerable to collisions with large ships. They’ve fallen in population in recent years due to high mortality and poor reproduction.