Emergency Pod: A Whale of a Problem for Boaters

In the hopes of saving a declining population of North Atlantic
Right whales, NOAA aims to institute a 10-knot speed limit along
much of the Atlantic coast. We cut through the clutter and get to
the heart of this matter with this emergency podcast with Viking
Director of Government Affairs and Sustainability John
DePersenaire. You can read the full proposal from NOAA here:
https://www.regulations.gov/document/NOAA-NMFS-2022-0022-0005
Please let your voice be heard and comment here:
https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/NOAA-NMFS-2022-0022-0005 Open
Letter to NOAA,  For as long as I can remember marine
magazines and NOAA have enjoyed a strong, professional relationship
because of the alignment in our values. NOAA’s work in regulating
safe seafood, protecting estuaries, providing hurricane
forecasting, navigational support, tide and current data, etc. is
greatly appreciated by the boating community.  It is from this
place of respect that I’m surprised to learn about the rushed
proposal from NOAA Fisheries to enact a speed-reduction policy that
will devastate the commercial and recreational boating industries
with a flawed plan to preserve the declining population of North
Atlantic Right Whales.  As you aptly illustrate on your
homepage (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about-us) the U.S. fishing
industry accounts for: “1.2 million commercial jobs, 553,000
recreational jobs. $165 billion in commercial sales, $89 billion in
recreational sales...”  These numbers say nothing about the
hard-working men and women that I’ve had the privilege to meet in
the boating industry. Having been born into boating and being lucky
enough to work in my dream job as the editor-in-chief of Power
& Motoryacht, I’ve met dockhands, marina managers, boat
builders, engine manufacturers, techs, designers, boat show
assemblers, captains, CEOs, receptionists, delivery drivers,
tugboat operators, harbor pilots, waterborne first responders and
so many others. The men and women in the marine industry come from
all walks of life but there is one through-line that characterizes
most of the people I’ve had the chance to meet: They love being
part of the boating industry. They love playing a role in a pastime
that brings joy to so many; a pastime that brings people together
better than any other hobby I know.  I respect the work you’re
doing to preserve the dying population of Right Whales. More than
any other demographic, we boaters are the ones who care for the
ocean its many mammals the most. I personally will never forget
sitting on the bow of my parent’s 26-foot Sea Ray off Cape Cod and
seeing Humpback whales for the first time. It’s a memory I’ll never
forget; one I hope to replicate with my young son and, God willing,
with his children one day. I support your mission but you’re
treating boaters as an enemy in this fight when we should be looked
to as your greatest ally and resource.  Please push off this
disastrous plan that will cripple the industry I love and give us a
seat at the table to work out solutions. I am standing by and will
make myself available to contribute to a common-sense solution at
your convenience. Thank you for your time and—hopefully—your honest
consideration. Daniel Harding Jr. Editor-in-Chief, Power &
Motoryacht Editorial Director, Active Interest Media Marine Group
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