Hannity: Biden’s overreaching regs will decimate maritime industry, will have ‘massive economic impact’

Fox News host Sean Hannity nailed the Biden administration for seeking to limit the speed of all motorboats over 35 feet from Florida to Massachusetts in order to ostensibly save right whales, even though there have only been five whale strikes by boats in the last 15 years.

(Video Credit: Fox News)

Frank Hugelmeyer, the president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), says, “This would be the greatest regulatory overreach in American maritime law,” according to Fox News. “Not only are they creating a serious safety issue, they are creating a massive negative economic impact.”

Hannity agreed with that assessment and is warning Americans that it will impact the nation economically. Fishermen are also ringing alarm bells over it while various stores such as Whole Foods have stopped selling lobsters over the whales.

“Anyway, we begin tonight with this giant seafaring mammal, as you can see in front of you, the North Atlantic right whale. Never heard of it before, but there it is. Anyway, apparently, Joe Biden cares so deeply about these majestic beasts that he’s now prepared to wreck the maritime industry from Florida to Massachusetts in order to protect the whale,” Hannity reported on his show Thursday night.

“Now he has a new regulation from the White House. It’s designed to prevent boats from accidentally hitting North Atlantic right whales. That would restrict the speed of all boats over 35 feet to ten knots or the equivalent of 11 miles per hour, up to 100 miles from the coast,” he continued.

“Now, keep in mind, there have only been five deadly whale strikes by boats in the past 15 years. Five. That’s it. There’s never been a confirmed whale strike in a federal channel if you will. Now, if this new regulation goes into effect, all experts are warning that port traffic will be crippled, the fishing industry will be destroyed, human lives will be put in danger. And many boats can’t operate safely in the open ocean at ten knots. Now, of course, between the border crisis, Afghanistan, the crime crisis, and now this effort to protect a few whales, well, human life always seems to now take a backseat in the Biden administration,” Hannity asserted.

Hannity went on to hammer the climate change worshippers.

“Moreso, worshipping at the altar of the climate cult, in this case saving whales that are not even really being killed, that takes priority,” he commented.

In an email sent to Fox News, an NOAA spokesman claimed there are only 350 right whales left in the ocean.

“This rule is designed to reduce the risk of mortalities from vessel strikes and afford the species a greater opportunity to recover,” the statement asserts.

What the rule does in reality is put whales ahead of human lives and ahead of the national economy for basically no reason.

“It’s stupid,” Jeff Angers, who is the president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy, stated according to Fox News. “It’s not what government is supposed to do.”

“It’s ridiculous,” he added, and then pointed out there’s less than a one in a million chance of a fishing boat hitting a whale, according to NOAA’s own numbers.

“Based on actual interactions between recreational boats and right whales, the proposed restrictions are unjustifiable, ineffective, and unnecessary,” Angers commented.

Chris Edmonston, the president of the Boat Owners Association of the United States says that it is unsafe.

“The boats are designed to ride on top of the waves,” he told the media outlet. “This is going to make them wallow in the waves — up and down, side to side, pitching,” he explained. “It’s going to be hard to maintain control. You can take waves over the side.”

Larger boats will especially be at risk.

“They can’t maintain steerage [at 10 knots,]” he pointed out. “If you’re going that speed you’re going to [run] aground.”

Not only are crews likely to get hurt, many contend the regulations will cripple port traffic.

“This overreach is going to basically all but halt fishing off the East Coast of the United States,” Glenn Hughes, the president of the American Sportfishing Association, charged. “It will just keep people from fishing.”

He says there are 9 million anglers who fish on the Eastern coastline.

“Instead of getting to a [fishing] destination in an hour, you’re talking about something that’s going to take three to four hours both ways,” he claimed.

“If it takes that long, they’re just not going to go,” Hughes said. “If they don’t go, then they don’t buy product. They don’t buy boats. They don’t buy fuel. They don’t buy anything that goes with that. And it hurts the economy.”

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