Press Releases

Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) Applauds the Withdrawal of NOAA Rule 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Fry released the following statement celebrating the Biden Administration’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) decision to withdraw their proposed changes to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule:

“NOAA’s proposed changes to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule were a sham from the beginning,” said Congressman Fry. “It was an unfounded move and an attempt to push their far-left environmental agenda when, in reality, it would have crippled the very industries that coastal communities like mine rely on. This move to withdraw the proposed changes ahead of the incoming Trump administration shows that it never had any grounds to begin with.”

In 2022, President Biden’s NOAA proposed to expand the mandatory 10-knot speed restriction to vessels ranging from 35 to 65 feet in length in an effort to protect the North Atlantic Right Whale. Originally, this speed restriction only applied to some vessels 65 feet or longer at certain times of the year. 

Congressman Fry first highlighted the issues with the proposed rule changes in July 2024 when he led a South Carolina GOP delegation letterto the Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), explaining how the rule proposal is completely unfounded and lacks a plausible basis. 

Implementation of this rule would have not only harmed 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 have also threatened the safety 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.

Congressman Fry serves on both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. 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.

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