Palmetto State News

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and U.S. Representative Russell Fry (R-South Carolina-07) have led the South Carolina Republican congressional delegation in addressing concerns to the Biden Administration regarding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) proposed changes to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule.

The delegation's letter highlights potential adverse effects on South Carolina’s boating and fishing industries, as well as broader economic impacts on tourism, hospitality, consumer goods, dining, and tax revenue generation within the state. Additionally, they raised concerns about the safety of harbor pilots who play a crucial role in South Carolina's maritime industry.

The letter states: “NOAA’s Regulatory Impact Review estimates that the cumulative impacts for all vessel size classes and regions combined will be $46.2 million nationwide. However, just in current inventory, the South Carolina Boating & Fishing Alliance estimates the loss of their member dealers in South Carolina alone to be $77 million."

It continues: "Implementation of this proposed rule would not only harm the boating and fishing industries but also have significant downstream economic effects on tourism, hospitality, consumer goods, dining, and tax revenue generation in South Carolina. Further, approximately 5.1 million recreational fishing trips have been taken along the Atlantic coast by vessels 35-65 feet in length since 2008. The chance of a 35 to 65-foot recreational vessel striking a North Atlantic Right Whale during an offshore fishing trip is less than one in 1,000,000."

The delegation argues that NOAA’s proposed rule relies on "an overly conservative and inaccurate risk model" for justification and lacks a plausible basis for imposing a 10-knot speed limit on boats within this size class.

They added: “We are eager to work with NOAA on a viable solution, such as a technological option allowing observers to track right whales with reports broadcast in real-time. It is imperative to consider the full implications of this proposed rule before implementation.”

The proposed rule change seeks to expand mandatory speed restrictions to include vessels measuring 35-65 feet across designated areas of the ocean along the East Coast. This change could significantly increase travel time for recreational boaters from three hours to ten hours for a one-way 100-mile offshore fishing trip.

While intended to protect North Atlantic Right Whales, critics argue that NOAA's proposal does not adequately justify its stringent measures for boats within this size range.