Trump Administration Considers Easing Vessel Rules Protecting Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales

The Trump administration has begun reviewing regulations designed to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, signaling a possible shift in U.S. marine conservation policy.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, announced it is exploring alternatives to existing seasonal vessel speed restrictions aimed at preventing deadly ship strikes. Instead, regulators are considering whale management zones and technology-based monitoring systems to help vessels avoid collisions.

With only about 380 North Atlantic right whales remaining, vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglement remain the species’ greatest threats. The agency has opened a 90-day public comment period to gather feedback before moving forward.

The review marks a notable departure from the previous proposal under the Biden Administration, which had sought stricter speed limits for vessels operating in whale habitats but never finalized the rule.

With approximately 380 individuals remaining, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered large mammal species globally. Vessel strikes and fishing-gear entanglement remain the two dominant human-caused threats. The regulatory question - seasonal speed limits vs. dynamic management zones with technology-based monitoring - reflects a real trade-off between certainty of protection and operational flexibility for shipping and fishing operators.

The public-comment period will likely see substantial input from conservation groups, ocean scientists, shipping industry representatives and coastal communities.

For companies with vessel operations along the US East Coast - container shipping, cruise, offshore wind construction - any framework change materially affects operating cost, scheduling and reputational exposure.

Litigation risk is also non-trivial: species-specific protections have historically attracted legal challenge when regulatory action is perceived as insufficient.

For shipping operators, offshore developers, seafood buyers and their insurers, Cognitud's nature-based solutions, sustainability due diligence and impact assessment teams help clients evaluate exposure to species-protection regulations, structure operational plans that align with evolving compliance requirements, and disclose progress against TNFD, SBTN and ISSB frameworks that increasingly require quantified biodiversity impact and dependency assessment across marine operations.