Reminder to mariners to slow down to protect right whales

WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Coast Guard is reminding large vessel operators that the Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule is in effect from November to April, to protect endangered right whales in mid-Atlantic waters where they are known to migrate.

Collisions with ships and interaction with fishing gear are a major cause of mortality and injury to the North Atlantic right whale.

As the federal government's primary maritime enforcement agency, the Coast Guard is working closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with a shared goal of conserving and rehabilitating the critically endangered whale’s population, which stands at approximately 300 worldwide.

NOAA fisheries implemented the regulations, which require vessels 65 feet or longer to operate at 10 knots or less over ground in certain locations consistent with the whales’ migratory pattern along the Atlantic coast.

These locations include a 20 nautical mile radius around the port of Morehead City and Beaufort and a continuous area 20 nautical miles from shore between Wilmington and Brunswick, Ga. The areas can be viewed graphically here.

Vessels may operate at speeds more than 10 knots only if necessary to maintain a safe maneuvering speed in an area where conditions severely restrict vessel maneuverability as determined by the pilot or master.

"I think that anyone who’s seen one of these impressive creatures can understand why protecting them is so important," said Lt. j.g. James Kopcsay, an enforcement officer at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina in Wilmington. "Following the provisions of this rule is of critical importance to preventing their extinction. The Coast Guard’s goal is to educate mariners about the importance of this rule, minimizing our need to issue warnings or seek civil penalties that result from choosing to break it."

Historical records indicate an average of two reported deaths or serious injuries to right whales occur due to ship strikes each year. Even a single human-caused death or serious injury a year can impact the population’s ability to survive.

To report a suspected violation in the seasonal management areas, call the national hotline at 800-853-1964.
The North Atlantic right whale is protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

For more information, please visit: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike, http://nero.noaa.gov/shipstrike and http://rightwhalessouth.nmfs.noaa.gov.

Part of Lake Ontario is now a “no discharge zone”

Why it's not the whole lake and why it took so long is beyond belief, but at least it finally came about and a good a part of the lake can't be dumped in. 

December 8, 2011 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today announced that a 3,675 square mile area of Lake Ontario is now a “no discharge zone,” which means that boats are completely banned from discharging sewage into the water. EPA reviewed DEC’s proposal to establish a no discharge zone for the lake and determined that there are adequate facilities in the area for boats to pump out their sewage. Boaters must now dispose of their sewage at one of the lake’s 37 specially-designated pump-out stations. This action is part of a joint EPA and New York State strategy to eliminate the discharge of sewage from boats into the state’s waterways.

“Clean water is one of New York’s most valuable assets, and pumping sewage from boats into local waters is a practice that is both harmful and completely unnecessary,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “Lake Ontario provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of New York residents. Establishing a no discharge zone for the lake is an important step in cleaning up New York’s treasured water bodies.”

"The designation of Lake Ontario as a 'no discharge zone' by the EPA strengthens New York's efforts to improve water quality in the Great Lakes by stopping pollution from boaters," said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. "We will continue to work with the EPA, Environmental Facilities Corporation, Department of State and other partners to reach our common goal of swimmable, drinkable and fishable Lake Ontario waters to support our health, economy and quality of life.”

Discharges of sewage from boats can contain harmful levels of pathogens and chemicals such as formaldehyde, phenols and chlorine, which have a negative impact on water quality, pose a risk to people’s health and impair marine life. EPA reviewed public comments on its tentative determination for the establishment of a no discharge zone, which was proposed in May 2011.

The no discharge zone encompasses the New York portion of Lake Ontario, including the waters of the Lake within the New York State boundary, stretching from the Niagara River (including the Niagara River up to Niagara Falls) in the west, to Tibbetts Point at the Lake’s outlet to the Saint Lawrence River in the east. The no discharge zone encompasses approximately 3,675 square miles and 326 shoreline miles, including the navigable portions of the Lower Genesee, Oswego, Black Rivers and numerous other tributaries and harbors, embayments of the Lake including Irondequoit Bay, Sodus Bay, North/South Ponds, Henderson Bay, Black River Bay and Chautmont Bay, and an abundance of formally designated habitats and waterways of local, state, and national significance.

For centuries, Lake Ontario has played an important role in the history of New York State and several Indian Nations. In addition to being a place of great natural beauty, the Lake serves as an economic engine for the region, and is a source of drinking water for seven hundred and sixty thousand people. The lake’s water quality is designated as “Class A,” which means that it’s recommended for drinking, swimming, fishing, and in the commercial processing of food.

To read EPA’s final determination or for more information about no discharge zones, go to http://www.epa.gov/region02/water/ndz/index.html

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

Bill in Congress Would Preserve Boating Access

BoatUS Urges Congressional Support for H.R. 3109 "Keep America's Waterfront Working Act"

In a harbor off the Chesapeake Bay, a small crabbing 

operation (right) and marina (center) offer access to 

both commercial and recreational vessels, while residential 

development (left), can restrict waterway access and 

displace water-dependent businesses.

 

ALEXANDRIA, Va., December 1, 2011 -- Working waterfronts, those parts of town at the water’s edge dotted with marine-dependent businesses like marinas, boatyards and haul-out facilities, are crucial to recreational boating. However, in some places they are struggling as municipalities grapple with development pressures and poor planning and that’s why Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine has introduced the “Keep America’s Waterfront Working Act of 2011” (H.R. 3109) in Congress. BoatUS is urging boaters to ask their Congressional representatives to sign-on as co-sponsors of the bill.

“Boaters rely on such small businesses to provide critical access to the water and essential services for their vessels and families,” said BoatUS Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs Ryck Lydecker. “If Rep. Pingree’s bill passes, it would be an extremely positive step in preserving access, facilities and services for recreational boaters and anglers.”

The waterfront is an economic engine and job provider for many communities, and H.R. 3109 would help states develop tools to preserve sites for water-dependent commercial activities. The bill is nearly identical to one that Pingree introduced in 2009. Grants would allow coastal states and communities to support and protect places where boatyards, marinas and other service providers do business, as well as boat builders, commercial fishermen, fishing charter and tour boat operators, and other water-dependent businesses. For example, working boatyards and other points of waterfront access at risk of conversion to non-water-dependent uses could be acquired from willing sellers. It would also provide essential funding for waterfront planning that could stem the tide of conversion.

“The waterfront is the only viable location for such businesses, and the continued access they provide to recreational boaters along our coasts is vital to the future of boating,” Lydecker added.

H.R. 3109 currently has 18 co-sponsors but needs more, according to BoatUS. Boaters can review the bill and ask their members of Congress to co-sponsor at: www.BoatUS.com/gov/workingwaterfronts.

For more information, contact BoatUS Government Affairs at 703-461-2878, ext. 8363 or email mailto:GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com. 

BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half million members with government representation, programs and money-saving services. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.