Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. and Sen. Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) are among dozens of lawmakers urging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain existing vessel speed protections for North Atlantic right whales while continuing to develop and deploy new technologies that can help reduce vessel strike risk.

The legislators sent a letter to NOAA in response to the agency’s request for public comment on potential changes to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule,…