Environmental groups sue to force government to finalize ship speed rules that protect rare whales

abcnews.go.com:

A coalition of environmental groups is suing the federal government to try to force the finalization of ship speed rules the groups say are critically important to save a vanishing species of whale

PORTLAND, Maine — A coalition of environmental groups has sued the federal government to try to force the finalization of ship speed rules that the groups say are critically important to save a vanishing species of whale.

The proposed ship speed rules would require vessels off the East Coast to slow down more often to help save the North Atlantic right whale. The whale numbers less than 360 and has been in decline in recent years in large part because of collisions with ships and entanglement in commercial fishing gear.

The environmental groups filed in federal court Tuesday with a request to allow a paused lawsuit about the ship speed rules to go forward. Members of the groups have criticized the federal government for delays in releasing the final rules and said they hope to force a deadline via their lawsuit.

“The federal government has known for years that right whales urgently require expanded vessel strike protections, yet has repeatedly kicked the can down the road,” said Jane Davenport, senior attorney at Defenders of Wildlife, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the proposed ship speed rules in summer 2022. The rules would expand slow zones off the East Coast that require mariners to slow down. They would also require more vessels to comply with those rules.

NOAA is still working on finalizing the rules, said Andrea Gomez, a spokesperson for the agency. Gomez said the agency can't comment on the lawsuit itself.

“While NOAA Fisheries anticipated