To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a grant program to foster enhanced coexistence between ocean users and North Atlantic right whales and other large cetacean species.
About This Bill
Floor Vote
Latest Action · December 10, 2024
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 118-837, Part I.
This bill requires the Secretary of Commerce to establish a competitive grant program that helps ocean users, fishing communities, and other maritime industries reduce harmful interactions with North Atlantic right whales and other large whales. Eligible grant recipients include state and local governments, nonprofits, research institutions, fishing operations, tourism businesses, and maritime companies that can develop and test new avoidance technologies, improve awareness of whale protection rules, and share information about reducing dangerous encounters. The bill authorizes $10 million in funding to support these projects, with grants administered through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and prioritizes projects that reduce both lethal and non-lethal whale injuries while providing economic benefits to small businesses. The legislation also freezes current federal vessel strike reduction regulations through December 31, 2030, preventing them from being strengthened during that period. The Secretary must report to Congress every two years on the program's effectiveness and results.
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