On Friday, October 27, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries said it has denied a petition to establish a mandatory 10-knot speed limit and other vessel-related measures to protect the endangered Rice’s whale in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico off Florida.

• According to NOAA Fisheries, it will not proceed with rulemaking for vessel regulations for Rice’s whales at this time. Instead, NOAA Fisheries said it is prioritizing finalizing critical habitat designations this year and developing a recovery plan for the species.

In June, the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners held an emergency meeting to discuss a petition submitted to NOAA Fisheries by several environmental groups. The groups requested a “vessel slowdown zone” with speed limits and other restrictions to protect Rice’s whales from ship collisions and noise pollution in the northeastern Gulf.

Local concerns were raised regarding the potential impact that these regulations may have on commercial vessel traffic in-and-out of the ports of Pensacola and Panama City, as well as the commercial and recreational fishing fleets here in Okaloosa County. 

• The prohibition on night travel could significantly disrupt commercial fishing trips and transit operations at the two local ports, according to the county. 

NOAA Fisheries requested public comments on the petition from April 7 to July 6, 2023. According to NOAA Fisheries, it received approximately 75,500 comments.

NOAA Fisheries said it denied the petition because it is focusing on other conservation actions first, including finalizing critical habitat, conducting further risk assessments, and creating a recovery plan.

NOAA Fisheries also said it agrees with public comments that education and voluntary protection measures should be pursued before considering regulations.

The Rice’s whale was declared an endangered species in 2019. NOAA Fisheries scientists recognized it as a distinct species separate from Bryde’s whales in 2021.