http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/foe/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4890&t=BWTakeAction.dwt

Whales Threatened by Speeding Cargo Ships

Collisions with ships are the number one cause of death among North Atlantic right whales.

Please help end the right whales slide toward extinction. Collisions can be prevented by slowing down cargo ships that crisscross whale feeding and breeding grounds along the East Coast. Researchers have discovered that right whales can avoid a collision if a ship is not going faster than 10 knots (about 11 mph).

Finally, after years of delay, the National Marine Fisheries Service is proposing a new requirement that all ships over 65-feet long slow down to 10 knots in right whale habitat.

We need your help to make sure that the whales get this new protection as soon as possible ? and that the shipping industry does not squelch it with demands for faster movement of ships in and out of ports.

 

What You Can Do
Send an email to the Chief of Marine Mammal Conservation Division at the National Marine Fisheries Service supporting the proposal to slow speed limits for ships over 65-feet to 10 knots in right whale habitat.

Important!
Comments containing your personal experiences carry more weight. So, please add your own thoughts to the letter. The deadline for comments is August 25.

If you prefer mailing a letter, please note the address and suggested content below that you can copy, save, and print.  If you wish to fax this letter, copy the below address and content, print and faxt to: 301-427-2522 Attn: Right Whale Ship Strike Strategy

With your help we are making a difference!
- Your friends at Bluewater Network

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/foe/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4890&t=BWTakeAction.dwt

Subject:
Support Ship Speed Limit Rule to Protect Right Whale

Chief, Marine Mammal Conservation Division
Attn: Right Whale Ship Strike Strategy
National Marine Fisheries Service
Office of Protected Resources
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring MD 20910

Dear NMFS,

I am writing to strongly urge you to require large ships to slow down to 10 knots (about 11 mph) while in Northern Right Whale Habitat as you propose. Setting strict speed limits on ships that transit right whale habitat is critical to preventing the further decline and extinction of these rare whales.

Please do not compromise this scientifically-based protection measure due to political pressure from the shipping industry. Ports and world-wide shipping continue to grow tremendously, with cargo from overseas expected to double or triple in coming years. The Northern Right Whale should not be allowed to slide into extinction just so more cars, computers, and other products make it to port a few minutes earlier.

We commend you for proposing a straight-forward and effective measure to protect Northern Right Whales from collisions with large ships. Please include my comments in the public record as being in support of the proposed rule for ship speed limits of 10 knots in right whale habitat. I oppose increasing the limit to 12 or 14 knots as researchers have documented that whales cannot avoid collisions with ships traveling faster than 10 knots.

Sincerely yours,