USCG Ship Reporting Systems — Right Whale Mandatory Reporting and LRIT Vessel Tracking

Legal Authority

• 46 U.S.C. § 70005 — Authorizes the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard operates to require vessels to participate in mandatory ship reporting systems to promote maritime safety and environmental protection
• 16 U.S.C. § 1361 et seq. (Marine Mammal Protection Act) — Prohibits taking of marine mammals including North Atlantic right whales; provides regulatory basis for vessel speed restrictions and reporting requirements in whale habitat
• SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19-1 — International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea; requires SOLAS-class vessels on international voyages to participate in the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system
• 33 CFR Part 169 — USCG implementing regulations for Subpart B (right whale mandatory reporting) and Subpart C (LRIT vessel tracking)

Key Mechanics

33 CFR Part 169 establishes two separate mandatory ship reporting systems. Subpart B — Right Whale Mandatory Reporting: vessels 65 feet or longer operating in designated North Atlantic right whale habitat areas (principally the Cape Cod Bay Critical Habitat Area, the Great South Channel, and the Southeast U.S. calving area off Georgia and Florida) must report their vessel name, position, course, speed, and destination to the USCG's automated WHALRS system before entering and upon leaving designated reporting areas. USCG uses these reports to monitor vessel presence in whale habitat and issue dynamic management area alerts when whales are observed near shipping lanes. Failure to report is a violation of federal law; the reporting requirement operates in conjunction with NOAA's vessel speed restrictions in right whale habitats (10-knot speed limits). Subpart C — Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT): SOLAS-compliant vessels on international voyages must transmit vessel identity, position, date, and time to the U.S. LRIT Data Centre at 6-hour intervals (or on demand from the Flag State or a Coastal State where the vessel intends to enter port). LRIT data is shared among contracting governments to SOLAS and is the primary international framework for maritime domain awareness on the high seas; it is distinct from AIS (which is shorter-range and real-time).

33 CFR Part 169 implements two distinct mandatory ship reporting systems administered by the U.S. Coast Guard: one designed to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from vessel strikes, and one that implements the international Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) framework for maritime domain awareness. Both systems require vessels to transmit position and identification data — one to alert USCG of ship presence in whale habitat, the other to give the U.S. and international authorities continuous visibility over ships on international voyages. Together, they represent the Coast Guard's primary vessel-reporting architecture operating outside of port-entry requirements.

Current Rule (2026)

What This Rule Does

Part 169 establishes mandatory reporting requirements with two completely different purposes. Subpart B creates a real-time two-way information exchange between ships and USCG to reduce the risk of ship strikes on North Atlantic right whales — one of the world's most endangered large whale species, with a population of fewer than 400 individuals. Subpart C implements the IMO's LRIT system under SOLAS Chapter V/Regulation 19-1, giving maritime authorities continuous long-range tracking capability for vessels on international voyages.

Neither reporting system is voluntary. Failure to report is a violation of 46 U.S.C. § 70005 and subjects vessels to USCG enforcement action. Foreign-flagged vessels in U.S. waters or waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction are equally subject to both systems.

Subpart B — Mandatory Ship Reporting for Right Whale Protection (§§ 169.100–169.145)

Why Ship Reporting for Right Whales

North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) migrate along the U.S. East Coast and concentrate in predictable feeding and calving areas at predictable times of year. These same areas overlap heavily with commercial shipping lanes. Ship strikes are one of the two leading causes of right whale mortality (along with entanglement in fishing gear). Because right whales are slow swimmers, surface frequently to feed, and do not reliably avoid vessels, speed reductions and awareness are the primary mitigation tools. The mandatory reporting system addresses awareness: it tells USCG when ships are entering whale habitat, and tells ships where whales have recently been sighted.

The Two Mandatory Reporting Areas

Northeastern United States Reporting Area (§§ 169.110–169.125): Covers Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts Bay, and the Great South Channel — the primary spring feeding grounds for right whales. The NE system operates year-round because right whale presence in these waters is not strictly seasonal. The reporting area boundary runs from approximately 41°N latitude to the Bay of Fundy boundary.

Southeastern United States Reporting Area (§§ 169.130–169.145): Covers waters off the coasts of Florida and Georgia — the primary winter calving grounds. Right whale calving season determines the operational window: the SE system is active from November 15 through April 16 each year. The SE area extends approximately 25 nautical miles offshore along a 90-nautical-mile corridor from roughly Savannah, Georgia, to Cape Canaveral, Florida.

How Reporting Works

Ships of 300 gross tons or more must report to USCG when entering either mandatory area. The report includes:

• Vessel identification (name, call sign, IMO number)
• Position, course, and speed upon entry
• Expected transit route through the area
• Destination port

Reports are transmitted via INMARSAT-C or other approved digital selective calling means to a USCG shore-based authority. USCG maintains a right whale sighting database and — upon receiving a ship report — relays recent sighting information for that area back to the vessel, allowing mariners to adjust course or speed if whales have been recently observed nearby. The system is recognized by the IMO as a mandatory ship reporting system under SOLAS Chapter V/Regulation 11.

Coordination with Speed Restrictions

The Part 169 reporting system operates alongside NMFS's right whale vessel speed rule (50 CFR Part 224), which imposes mandatory 10-knot speed limits in Seasonal Management Areas. The reporting system and the speed rule are complementary: reporting provides awareness; speed restrictions reduce strike severity. Vessels that have reported their entry receive updated sighting information that can also be used to voluntarily avoid high-density whale areas beyond the SMAs.

Subpart C — Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) (§§ 169.200–169.245)

The LRIT Framework

LRIT is a global maritime domain awareness system established by the IMO under the 2002 amendments to SOLAS. Each IMO member state operates or contracts with a Data Centre that collects position reports from vessels and makes them available to authorized users — flag states, port states, and coastal states — through the International LRIT Data Exchange. The United States LRIT Data Centre collects reports from U.S.-flag vessels worldwide and from all vessels (regardless of flag) operating within U.S. jurisdiction.

Who Must Comply (§ 169.215)

LRIT applies to ships on international voyages:

• Passenger ships (any size)
• Cargo ships of 300 gross tons or more
• Mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) when underway

Purely domestic voyages (between U.S. ports without calling at a foreign port) are exempt from LRIT — though AIS typically covers these vessels anyway.

AIS Exemption (§ 169.215(b)): vessels within 20 nautical miles of the U.S. baseline that are equipped with a functioning Class A AIS transponder are exempt from LRIT reporting. AIS provides coastal state authorities with real-time position data at far higher resolution than the 6-hour LRIT interval; LRIT's value is in open-ocean long-range tracking where AIS shore stations cannot reach.

Equipment Requirements (§ 169.225)

LRIT equipment must be type-approved by the vessel's flag state administration or a recognized organization acting on the flag state's behalf. The equipment transmits automatically — no crew action is required for routine reporting. Vessels must maintain LRIT equipment in operational condition; failures must be reported to the flag state and repaired at the next practicable opportunity.

6-Hour Reporting Interval (§ 169.230)

Position reports are transmitted every 6 hours automatically. The report includes vessel identity (MMSI number), position (latitude/longitude), and timestamp. Authorized users (USCG, flag state authorities, port states the vessel is heading toward) can request reports at higher frequencies — up to every 15 minutes — for operational or safety reasons. Coastal states may also request LRIT reports from vessels up to 1,000 nautical miles from their baseline, even if the vessel is not heading to a port in that state.

Data Access and Privacy (§ 169.240)

LRIT data is not public — it is available only to authorized maritime authorities. Flag states have access to their own vessels' data at all times. Coastal states can access LRIT data for vessels within 1,000nm of their coast. Port states can access LRIT data for vessels that have declared the port as destination. USCG uses LRIT data for maritime domain awareness, search and rescue planning, and law enforcement — it does not share LRIT data publicly.

How It Affects You

If you operate a commercial vessel 300+ GT transiting the U.S. East Coast: the right whale reporting requirements apply in both the NE and SE areas. For the NE system, reporting is year-round — do not assume the system is inactive in summer. For the SE system, the November 15–April 16 window covers the entire calving season. Failure to report is a federal violation; more practically, failing to receive whale sighting information from USCG means operating blind in an area where a collision with a right whale is a serious maritime incident with regulatory, criminal, and reputational consequences.

If you operate ships on international voyages: LRIT equipment must be type-approved and operational. The 6-hour position reporting happens automatically via your LRIT device — the compliance burden is in equipment certification and maintenance, not operational crew action. If your LRIT equipment fails at sea, you are required to notify your flag state administration and take steps to repair as soon as practicable.

If you manage a coastal shipping operation between U.S. ports: domestic voyages are exempt from LRIT but you are still subject to the right whale reporting requirements if your vessels enter the NE or SE areas. The domestic exemption is an LRIT-only concept — it does not affect Subpart B reporting obligations.

If you are a port state official or maritime authority: USCG has authority to request enhanced LRIT reporting (up to every 15 minutes) from vessels of interest. LRIT data is available for vessels declaring U.S. ports as destinations; USCG can also request data for vessels up to 1,000nm offshore for security screening. LRIT requests go through the International LRIT Data Exchange administered by the IMO.

Statutory Authority

This rule implements:

• 46 U.S.C. § 70005 — authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (delegated to USCG) to require vessels operating in U.S. waters to report their identity, position, and route; basis for both the right whale reporting system (as a mandatory IMO-recognized system) and the domestic LRIT requirement
• SOLAS Chapter V/Regulation 11 — IMO framework for mandatory ship reporting systems; the NE and SE right whale systems are internationally recognized under this regulation
• SOLAS Chapter V/Regulation 19-1 — IMO framework for LRIT; all SOLAS-party flag states are required to ensure their vessels comply with LRIT

Recent Rulemakings

1999 NE Right Whale Reporting System (64 FR 29234, May 1999): established the northeastern mandatory ship reporting area covering Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts Bay, and the Great South Channel; created the USCG Southeastern Marine Mammal Science Center as the designated shore authority; recognized by IMO as a mandatory ship reporting system under SOLAS V/11.

2001 SE Right Whale Reporting System (66 FR 58070, November 2001): established the southeastern mandatory ship reporting area off Florida and Georgia for the November 15–April 16 calving season; extended the framework established by the NE rule to the calving grounds; also recognized under SOLAS V/11.

2008 LRIT Implementation (73 FR 23318, May 2008): added Subpart C implementing SOLAS V/19-1 LRIT requirements for international voyages; established the 6-hour reporting interval, AIS coastal exemption, and type-approval equipment requirements; aligned U.S. domestic implementation with the IMO LRIT performance standards adopted in 2006.

Pending Action