HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — TheNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is considering new regulations in the Gulf of Mexico that would lower the speed limit for recreational boaters to 11 miles per hour to protect the rice's whale population.
Environmentalists are in support of the regulation and say it will keep that population of whales safe. Boating Companies tell ABC Action News they think there is a better approach to protecting those animals and that a vessel slow down would cripple the boating industry.
The speed limit would impact people boating through the rice's whale core habitat. That area stretches from Pensacola down to a point just south of Tampa Bay.
The proposal also prevents boaters from traveling through this area at night.
“Based on the speed limits and the location of the restricted area, you can’t even go around the restricted area. It will basically shut down the whole fishery economy. It will shut down the boating economy," Mark Moss from the Navico group said.
Moss thinks this regulation would effectively shut down boating in this part of the ocean, which would have a major impact on the boating industry in the Tampa Bay area.
”We are a $31.3 billion business here in Florida. There's over a million registered boaters in the state of Florida, about 7,000 businesses and over 110,000 jobs depend on recreational boating," Jeff Angers, the President of the Center for Sport Fishing Policy, said.
Angers worried this regulation would shut down companies and leave thousands without a job. Aside from the industry impact, he says 11 miles per hour is not safe for boaters.
“When NOAA sets a speed limit of 11 miles per hour, it’s not safe sometimes for me to be on the water with my three children, and it wouldn't be safe for any boater,” Angers said.
He explained he would like to see NOAA take a technological approach to protecting the whales. Angers said boating companies are coming together to propose they track the location of whales on their consoles. He said they think this is more efficient than the speed limit regulation, and it will keep boaters in business.
“We’re trying to guide NOAA to a better solution, which is to focus on technology. You know, fisherman and boaters can see on their consoles where the fish are. Where other boats are, there’s no reason we can’t develop the technology to know when there is a whale in the water near us, and that’s where we're focused,” Angers said.
NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment, click here for more information.
