Biden administration drops slowdown rule for ship speed limits aimed at saving right whales

MAINE PUBLIC • January 15, 2025

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will drop proposed ship speed limits that were aimed at reducing collisions with North Atlantic right whales. Regulatory officials said there wasn't enough time to review the 90,000 comments they received and finalize new ship speed rules before the Trump administration takes office next week. Ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are the two leading causes of death and injury to right whales. The population has roughly 370 individuals remaining.