NOAA Right Whale Slow Zones (per NOAA):
Today, NOAA Fisheries announces a new “Right Whale Slow Zones” campaign asking all vessel operators to reduce the risk of vessel strike to critically endangered North Atlantic right whales by slowing down or avoiding areas where right whales have been detected.

Complementary to other NOAA vessel strike reduction efforts, the “Right Whale Slow Zones”campaign brings together sighting information, from NOAA’s Dynamic Management Area program, with new acoustic detection information to help vessels of all sizes slow down in areas where right whales have been detected.

We would like to thank our North Atlantic right whale Northeast U.S. Implementation Team (NEIT), our partners and advisers on right whale recovery activities from Maine through Virginia, who identified this opportunity to enhance vessel strike reduction efforts using acoustic information.

If we’ve learned anything this year – it’s that working together we can make a difference - and that’s true for reducing vessel strike to right whales as well. Read more about our new campaign in our web story (link to story and will include the RW zone graphic in the email).

Questions?
Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103
Inquiries about the right whale SLOW Zone program: Peter Kelliher, Protected Resources Division 978-282-8474


Further Slow Zone details https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/help-endangered-whales-slow-down-slow-zones

Reducing Ship Strike https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/reducing-ship-strikes-north-atlantic-right-whales