Whale protection rule open for public comment

(CNN) -- U.S. government scientists are one step closer to publishing a rule aimed at protecting the endangered right whale from ship strikes.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) filed its final environmental impact statement Monday, seeking public comment on its proposal to slow down commercial ships along parts of the East Coast where slow-moving right whales are found.

NOAA is proposing a 10-knot speed limit in right whale feeding grounds in and around Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and inside the "calving grounds" off Jacksonville, Florida. The slowdown also applies to a 20-mile "bubble" near mid-Atlantic ports where and when the whales are migrating. The proposal a year ago called for a 30-mile caution area around ports.

The shipping industry has been adamantly opposed to the rule.

The World Shipping Council, representing more than two dozen companies, told the government that such a speed limit would disrupt tightly controlled container ship schedules, make it more difficult for big ships to maneuver and cost money. Their concerns sparked a debate within the Bush administration and delayed the rule, which the Office of Management and Budget should have reviewed more than a year ago.

Experts say commercial ships kill about two North Atlantic right whales every year, a big number given only about 300 remain alive.

All About Endangered Species • U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration