Caption
ByEmily Garcia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
10 hours ago
Ga. officials oppose new rules that would broaden vessel speed limits
This coverage is supported by a partnership with 1Earth Fund, the Kendeda Fund and Journalism Funding Partners. You can learn more and support our climate reporting by donating atajc.com/donate/climate.
For years, marine mammal conservationists have known the North Atlantic right whale population was in decline because of vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Now, newly released population estimates show the already-endangered species is on the brink of extinction.
The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium (NARWC) has released new data showing that this species of right whale — known in Georgia as the state marine mammal — is doomed unless the government and fishing industry adopt stricter, more protective rules.
The organization estimates there are a total of 340 North Atlantic right whales left…
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Exposing the Big Game 
If they won’t conform to the speed rules, the whales will go extinct. This mouthpiece does not ‘love’ whales if he will not comply. If senators won’t support laws to save whales, how in the hell is it going to work out for massive wind farms?
To read that vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing lines is due to ‘climate change’ by a government organization just left me in shock. So the wonderful plans for magical coexistence with offshore wind do not look very promising and could very well be the final nail.
This is what frightens me about any human-devised scheme. It will always come down to what is best for people, not the wildlife. For right whales, they cannot afford any ‘incidental take’ at all, and it will be exploited by unscrupulous businesspeople, which we have seen countless times. I don’t understand why we persist in being willfully naive about ourselves, we know that boat captains and crews routinely ignore the rules, laws, are drunk behind the wheel, etc. It is not due to climate change.
How can we allow this? We truly s**k as a species!:
From the ‘Plan’:
2.2 BOEM & NOAA Fisheries’ Missions and Responsibilities
If a “no jeopardy” conclusion is reached, either based on the proposed action and its mitigation or after adopting a Reasonable and Prudent Alternative, NOAA Fisheries may issue an Incidental Take Statement that exempts a certain amount and type of take from the ESA section 9 prohibitions on take. The Incidental Take Statement includes Reasonable and Prudent Measures and Terms and Conditions to
minimize and monitor that take. When processing requests for incidental take authorizations for OSW under the MMPA, NOAA Fisheries may only authorize take of small numbers of marine mammals and must find that the total authorized take will have a negligible impact on the affected marine mammal species and stock. In any marine mammal incidental take authorization, NOAA Fisheries must also prescribe mitigation measures that affect the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammals and their habitat, paying particular attention to rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar significance, and include requirements pertaining to monitoring and reporting.
It’s too precarious a situation to even contemplate. Massive windfarms are going to be additional obstacles in shipping and fishing routes, in waters already crowded with ships and pleasure boats as it is. The poor whales and other marine creatures will be caught in the middle. We just so cavalierly talk about ‘incidental take’ as if it was nothing.
How can they possibly think it can work? We can’t manage it now!
The key word being, “crowded.” We can’t possibly expect to provide food and electricity for an ever-growing human population…
Yes. But that’s the issue that no one wants to address, or feels entitled to do.