Coast Guard looks for whale protection violations off Va.

摘要

The Coast Guard is looking out for violations of rules designed to protect a rare species of whale from collisionswith ships.Coast Guard Sector Virginia said it has become aware of "potential violations of the North Atlantic right whaleship strike reduction speed restrictions in place for the entrance to Chesapeake Bay." The whales number lessthan 400 and are vulnerable to ship strikes.The Coast Guard said vessels that are 65 feet or longer must travel at 10 knots or less when they come within 20nautical miles of the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay between Nov. 1 and April 30. The whales come north inthe spring to feed and are often seen off New England and Canada.