[Dec. 15, 2025] Today, Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) submitted a comment to the National Marine Fisheries Service urging it to rescind an outdated and burdensome rule that severely restricts how fast boats can go in open waters along the Atlantic. The comment comes on the heels of a new executive order issued by the Trump Administration, which aims to make the U.S. a leader in producing seafood.

As SLF points out in its comment, for fishermen to be able to fish and make the industry more competitive, they must be able to travel at adequate speeds to catch the fish. But according to a 2008 regulation, anyone operating a boat over 65 feet along parts of the eastern seaboard can’t travel over 10 knots. This means that a fisherman doing his part to improve the American economy could face criminal penalties for going faster than the speed of an average golf cart.

This comment follows SLF’s November 1, 2024 petition to NMFS to formally repeal the 10-knot speed limit. In its petition, SLF pointed out that the speed limit rule was supposed to sunset after five years but never did. And it warned, “NMFS estimates that the Vessel Speed Restriction Rule’s economic cost is between $30 and $40 million per year.”

In its latest comment, SLF writes, “It’s time to haul this barnacle-encrusted rule off the hull and let the ship of commerce make headway. . . . We urge NOAA to strike this outdated rule from the books and let American fishermen sail free.”

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