Trump Administration Signals Potential Rollback of Lifesaving Protections for Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale

March 4, 2026

Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) today expressed deep concern following the publication of a Federal Register notice indicating that the Trump administration is considering weakening the 2008 vessel speed rule, one of the most important federal safeguards protecting critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from lethal vessel strikes.

Filed by NOAA Fisheries as an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, the document states that the agency may seek to take “possible deregulatory action” to replace existing seasonal speed restrictions with “technology-based strike-avoidance measures.” AWI criticized the potential rollback, warning that weakening the current rule would strip away one of the few protections proven to reduce deadly collisions between vessels and whales.  

“North Atlantic right whales are already in dire straits,” said Susan Millward, AWI’s executive director and CEO. “The 2008 rule has a demonstrated record of reducing deadly vessel strikes without compromising mariner safety or economic activity. Meanwhile, technologies that attempt to track and avoid whales in real time are not currently a feasible option for preventing collisions with vessels. Rolling back longstanding protections in favor of unproven technological alternatives would put this species at even greater risk.”  

The 2008 vessel speed rule requires most vessels 65 feet and longer to slow down to 10 knots in designated Seasonal Management Areas along the US East Coast, where right whales and heavy vessel traffic overlap. Reducing vessel speeds in these areas significantly lowers both the likelihood and severity of whale-vessel collisions. While detection technologies are helpful for monitoring and research, studies have found that these technologies are, at present, no substitute for mandatory speed reductions.  

The two primary threats facing North Atlantic right whales today are accidental entanglement in commercial fishing gear and collisions with vessels. With fewer than 380 individuals remaining and only about 70 breeding females, the species faces an extremely high risk of extinction if additional deaths are not prevented. Females, calves, and juvenile whales are particularly vulnerable to vessel strikes, and the loss of even a single breeding female or calf can have devastating consequences for the species’ recovery.  

NOAA Fisheries will open a public comment period on the advance notice of proposed rulemaking before moving forward with any potential changes to the rule. AWI will soon make an action alert available on its website to help members and supporters submit comments urging the agency to maintain strong, science-based protections for North Atlantic right whales. To be notified when the comment period opens, visit AWI’s Action Center and sign up to receive email alerts.