Conservation groups have stepped into a legal battle to defend speed limits that protect North Atlantic right whales from deadly vessel strikes. The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and Conservation Law Foundation filed a motion to intervene as defendants on behalf of NOAA Fisheries in a case challenging the agency’s 2008 vessel speed rule. The case was brought by a vessel captain who was fined for knowingly violating seasonal speed limits. The captain claims NOAA Fisheries lacked the authority to issue the rule and is asking the court to prevent the agency from enforcing … Continue reading Court Battle Over NOAA Speed Limits as Right Whale Numbers Drop Below 375