Towards the minimization of whales intersection and ship traffic
Whales near Californias largest ports are about to gain a bit more protection from the cargo ships with which they share their marine homes. In recent years, a record number of the seafaring giants have been hit and killed by ships sailing along the California coast, at levels that are unsustainable for already endangered populations.
Changes to the mile-wide shipping lanes that funnel maritime traffic into the San Francisco Bay and to the ports in the Los Angeles area go into effect on June 1, and some of the modifications have been made specifically to reduce the presence of ships in areas whales are known to frequent.
(photo credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission )
Soon, the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, which represents marine terminal operators and ocean carriers calling on west coast ports, will announce a large-scale project aimed at reducing ship strikes. Timed to coincide with the lane changes, the initiative will help fund whale monitoring flights over the Channel Islands, integrate and test a whale-spotting app (see sidebar), and facilitate the placement of whale observers on ships.
The shipping lane changes come as ship strikes are growing in visibility and concern is mounting.In recent years, record numbers of endangered whales have washed ashore or been dragged into ports, wrapped around the bows of ships.But those whales are just a fraction of the total killed – the ocean doesn’t purge its fallen as often as they are taken.
Source : Nadia Drake, WIRED
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