Vessels must slow down to save whale species from extinction, US rules say

A North Atlantic right whale feeds on the surface off Cape Cod bay (Michael Dwyer/AP)

Vessels off the East Coast of the US must slow down more often to help save a vanishing species of whale from extinction, the federal government said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made the announcement via proposed rules designed to prevent ships colliding with North Atlantic right whales.