New Slow Zone To Protect Right Whales Off Martha's Vineyard

Right Whale Protection — FILE - In this March 28, 2018 file photo, a North Atlantic right whale feeds on the surface of Cape Cod bay off the coast of Plymouth, Mass. Interstate fishing managers are starting the process of trying to reduce the amount of lobster fishing gear off the East Coast in an attempt to help save a declining species of the rare whale. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announced on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, that it will consider options designed to reduce vertical lobster fishing lines in the water by as much as 40 percent.

By Associated Press

July 06, 2021

The federal government is implementing a new “slow zone” for boaters south of Martha's Vineyard to try to protect rare whales.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday that the new slow zone will be in effect until July 18. It's designed to protect North Atlantic right whales, which number only about 360.

The agency is asking mariners to route around the area altogether or travel through it at 10 knots or less. The zone went into effect on July 2.

The whales are often located off New England at this time of year. Acoustic buoys detected the right whales southwest of Martha's Vineyard, prompting NOAA to create the zone.

The whales are vulnerable to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.