Denial of Petition to Re-Route Ships

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a Notice stating that it denied the petition submitted by various environmental advocacy groups requesting that the agency promulgate emergency regulations to slow and/or re-route vessels within the habitat of the North Atlantic right whale. The agency has various pending efforts to enhance protection for this endangered species and issuance of an emergency rule at this time would curtail full public notice, comment, and analysis. In the meantime, NMFS continues to advise vessels transiting North Atlantic right whale habitats to comply with current regulations and to exercise caution to avoid ship strikes. 70 Fed. Reg. 56884 (September 29, 2005).