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Great South Channel News

08 Apr 2015

Voluntary Right Whale Speed Restriction Zone in Rhode Island

A voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area - DMA) has been established in Rhode Island Sound to protect an aggregation of 4 right whales sighted in this area on April 1, 2015. This DMA is in effect immediately through April 16, 2015. Mariners are requested to route around this area or transit through it at 10 knots or less. Mariners are requested to avoid or transit at 10 knots or less inside the following areas where persistent aggregations of right whales have been sighted. Please visit www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike for more information. - Cape Cod Bay U.S. - Mid-Atlantic U.S. - Great South Channel U.S. - Southeast U.S. Approaching a right whale closer than 500 yards is a violation of federal and state law.

29 May 2009

Changes in Vessel Operations Protects Whales

Years of study and effort by NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard will pay off this summer when two changes to shipping lanes into Boston are implemented. Both changes significantly reduce the risk of collisions between large ships and whales. Beginning on June 1, ships 300 gross tons and above will be asked to avoid an area in the Great South Channel from April through July, when right whales face the highest chance of being struck by ships. The channel is a feeding area for the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. Also, ships transiting primarily from the south and entering Boston Harbor in shipping lanes will travel a slightly different path. The north-south traffic lanes have been modified to reduce the threat of ship collisions with endangered right whales and other whale species.

05 Jan 2009

Potential Whale Breeding Grounds Discovered

A large number of North Atlantic right whales have been seen in the Gulf of Maine, leading right whale researchers at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center to believe they have identified a wintering ground and potentially a breeding ground for this endangered species. The NEFSC’s aerial survey team saw 44 individual right whales on Dec. 3 in the Jordan Basin area, located about 70 miles south of Bar Harbor, Maine. Weather permitting, the team regularly surveys the waters from Maine to Long Island and offshore 150 miles to the Hague Line (the U.S.-Canadian border)…

18 Feb 2005

North Atlantic Right Whale – port access routing study

The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a port access routing study to analyze potential vessel routing measures and consider adjusting existing vessel routing measures in order to reduce vessel strikes on the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale. The areas under consideration include Cape Cod Bay and possibly Race Point and the Great South Channel in the northern region and approaches to Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach, and Brunswick in the southern region. Comments should be submitted by April 19. 70 Fed. Reg. 8312 (HK LAW)