Press Releases

Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) leads South Carolina GOP Delegation Letter Expressing Concerns Over NOAA’s Proposed Changes to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Russell Fry, joined by his Republican colleagues in the South Carolina delegation, sent a letter to Biden administration officials expressing their concerns over the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) proposed changes to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule.

Currently, most vessels 65 feet or longer must travel at 10 knots or less in certain locations along the U.S. East Coast at certain times of the year. NOAA’s proposed change would expand the mandatory speed restriction to 10 knots or less in designated areas to include vessels 35-65 feet in length.

While intended to protect the North Atlantic Right Whale, NOAA’s proposed rule lacks a plausible basis for imposing a 10-knot speed limit on boats in the 35-65-foot size class. 

Implementation of this proposed rule would not only harm the boating and fishing industries along South Carolina’s Coast but also have significant downstream economic effects on tourism, hospitality, consumer goods, dining, and tax revenue generation in the state. The proposed changes would also threaten the safety and lives of our state’s harbor pilots who provide an integral service to the entire maritime industry of not only our state, but the entire nation.

Read the full letter here.

Congressman Fry serves on the House Judiciary Committee, the House Oversight Committee, and the Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. He also serves as the Republican freshman class president. To stay up to date with Congressman Fry and his work for the Seventh District, follow his official Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages and visit his website at fry.house.gov.

###