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Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) delivered a strong rebuke to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) proposed changes to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule during the July 25 Senate Appropriations Committee consideration of the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Commerce, Justice, & Science (CJS) spending bill.

Senator Manchin voted against the FY 2025 CJS spending bill due to his opposition to NOAA’s proposed rule. “I could not in good conscience support the bill because of the grave concerns I still have with NOAA’s proposed Vessel Speed Rule,” said Senator Manchin.   

The Senator highlighted NOAA’s failure to consider technology as part of the solution to reduce the risk of vessel strikes.

“It is ill-conceived and overreaching, but what’s even worse is that it isn’t the only or even the best way to protect these endangered animals,” said Senator Manchin. “NOAA proposed the expansion of this rule without first even attempting to engage with the boating and marine technology industry. Technology exists today that could be implemented immediately to protect all marine life at risk of vessel strikes, including the North Atlantic right whale.”

NMMA has long-urged NOAA and the Administration to withdraw the proposed vessel speed rule, alerting NOAA to the flaws in the rule and proposing a technology-based approach to protecting marine mammals without putting boater safety at risk and devastating coastal economies. As NMMA President and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer wrote in a recent Washington Post op-ed, “The recreational boating community has always been a champion for conservation efforts, and we are proud to support efforts to protect endangered marine mammals. But what NOAA fails to acknowledge is that we can protect the North Atlantic right whale while not sacrificing the safety of Americans on the water.”

The Senate CJS bill included some provisions related to the North Atlantic right whale (NARW), including $4 million for research, monitoring, and conservation efforts and encourages NOAA to use a more conservative scenario when predicting future NARW populations. The spending bill did not include any measures preventing the NARW VSR from moving forward, drawing the ire of Senator Manchin.

Following Senator Manchin’s comments, Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) added, “I’d like to thank Senator Manchin for his comments and associate myself with his comments. Tennessee has a robust boat manufacturing industry. NOAA’s behavior, as you so eloquently described it, Senator Manchin, is unconscionable. It is devoid of any cost-benefit analysis, and I look forward to working with you to address this concern.”

Watch Senator Manchin’s remarks here:

NMMA will continue closely monitoring the bill’s progress through the U.S. Senate and highlight the industry’s concerns. For more information, please contact NMMA director of government relations, Clay Crabtree at [email protected]. To learn more about the proposed NOAA rule, visit https://www.nmma.org/advocacy/noaa.