Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – Today, on October 27, 2023, NOAA Fisheries announced that it is denying a petition from several non-government organizations to establish a mandatory 10-knot speed limit and other vessel related mitigation measures to protect endangered Rice’s whales in the Gulf of Mexico. The agency will not proceed with rulemaking at this time.

NOAA Fisheries explained that it is prioritizing other conservation actions for Rice’s whales, including finalizing critical habitat for the species, conducting additional vessel risk assessments, and developing a recovery plan for the species. The agency also stated that it agrees with commenters who stated that education and outreach should occur with fishermen, vessel operators, and other stakeholders to discuss voluntary protection measures, before considering regulatory measures.

NOAA Fisheries has completed a number of conservation and recovery actions for Rice’s whales, including listing the species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), completing a recovery outline for the species, conducting a virtual recovery workshop, and publishing a proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the species under the ESA.

In addition to the actions that NOAA Fisheries is prioritizing, the agency is also undertaking other conservation and recovery actions, including finalizing the critical habitat designation for Rice’s whales, developing a draft Rice’s whale recovery plan, implementing Deepwater Horizon restoration projects, conducting additional vessel risk assessments, and developing conservation measures during the ESA section 7 consultation process with other Federal agencies.

For more information on this petition, please visit the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office website. 

Report any sightings of dead or injured Rice’s whales to NOAA Fisheries at 1-877-WHALE-HELP (942-5343).