Article

The recreational boating industry’s multi-year advocacy campaign opposing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) proposed vessel speed rule was awarded the PRNEWS Platinum Award for the “Best Public Affairs Campaign” of the year at the PRNEWS awards ceremony on Oct. 7 in New York City. The campaign was a finalist for two PRNEWS Platinum Awards among multiple different campaigns by industries and public affairs firms.

The campaign, which helped lead to NOAA’s withdrawal of the rule on January 15, 2025, was recognized in the categories of Best Public Affairs Campaign and Best Legislative and Regulatory Relations Campaign.

For more than two decades, the PRNEWS Platinum Awards have been hailed as the most coveted honors in the communications industry. The awards celebrate the “best of the best” organizations and professionals who demonstrate exceptional innovation, strategy, and results in public relations, public affairs, and corporate communications.

“This recognition is an incredible honor for the entire recreational boating community,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, President and CEO of NMMA. “Our industry campaign would not have existed without the strong support of NMMA members, and we are thankful for their collaboration, advocacy, and partnership. Our campaign was about protecting access to our waters, safeguarding small businesses, and standing up for common-sense conservation. It shows what can be achieved when our industry comes together with one voice to advocate for fair, science-driven policy. Advocacy matters, and this award is a tribute to the strength and unity of our boating community.”

NOAA’s proposed vessel speed rule would have mandated 10-knot speed restrictions for boats 35 feet and up across large portions of the Atlantic Ocean – from Massachusetts to Florida – to protect the North Atlantic right whale. The rule posed sweeping consequences for coastal communities, small businesses, and the millions of Americans who enjoy recreational boating each year.

The rule would have slowed or halted boating and fishing activity across much of the Eastern seaboard, limiting access for boaters, anglers, and charter operators and threatening livelihoods in coastal towns that depend on marine recreation and tourism. The misguided rule would have limited conservation benefits based on NOAA’s flawed modeling and outdated data.

In response, NMMA joined forces with the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the Center for Sportfishing Policy (CSP), boat builders, dealers, anglers, marinas, state boating agencies, boaters, coastal communities, and industry partners in a unified three-year campaign. The industry’s message was simple: support marine mammal conservation through science-based, balanced solutions that protect both marine wildlife and access to the water.

Through this collaboration, the recreational boating industry:

• Mobilized thousands of boaters and businesses to submit formal comments to NOAA and Congress.
• Held meetings with federal and state policymakers to advocate for modernized regulations that reflect today’s vessel technology and safety standards.
• Launched a nationwide media and grassroots outreach effort, generating widespread public awareness through television, radio, and digital platforms.
• Worked with bipartisan members of Congress to support legislative oversight and transparency in NOAA’s rulemaking process.

The result was a decisive outcome for boaters, anglers, and small marine businesses when NOAA officially withdrew the proposed rule in January 2025 — a victory that affirmed the value of science-based policymaking and stakeholder collaboration.