ICS is encouraging the shipping industry to take action to reduce the risk of harm to endangered whale species, saying that significant steps have already been taken by the industry to help protect marine mammals.
This is an issue that the shipping industry takes seriously, and has resulted in the implementation of measures that aim to prevent collisions between whales and ships, from reducing vessel speed and rerouting to engaging stakeholders to raise further awareness.
This includes areas around the world where speed limits apply to vessels, such as the St Lawrence River in Canada and the Gibraltar straits. There is also guidance on ‘Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas’ which provide caution to mariners on ‘whale avoidance’.
In fact, the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) announced this summer its support of two whale protection initiatives by the NGOs OceanCare and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Both initiatives aim to protect whales by rerouting ships to avoid areas at high risk of collisions.
The OceanCare initiative aims to protect sperm whales in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the IFAW initiative aims to protect blue whales in the coastal waters off the southern tip of Sri Lanka.
After having been approached by the NGOs asking for our support of both their initiatives, we eagerly embraced the NGOs’ proposal and discussed it with our members
said Dr Martin Kröger, Chief Executive Officer of the VDR, adding that “the feedback has unambiguously indicated that we are all happy to take minor diversions to protect the whales there.”
Now, VDR’s more than 150 member companies have been officially asked to reroute their ships to avoid these critical whale habitats.
The IFAW and OceanCare initiative complement the initiative of the World Shipping Council and the ICS at the IMO, to move the Traffic Separation Scheme off the southern tip of Sri Lanka further offshore to reduce the risk of collisions between ships and whale species.
In addition, the IMO has been working with lawmakers and professional associations, including ICS, to update its guidelines on the protection of whales.
There are possibilities to bypass the whales’ habitats by just a few nautical miles in both places – safely, legally, and without much extra effort or expense
Christian Naegeli, the VDR’s Marine Advisor on Maritime Safety, Nautical & Technical Affairs, and the Environment, stated.
In the same wavelength, Nicolas Entrup, Director of International Relations at OceanCare, explained that “re-routing saves whales’ lives and we truly appreciate the steps taken by VDR, but also shipping companies themselves, such as MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. The science-based approach to identify important marine mammal areas such as the Hellenic Trench and the waters south of Sri Lanka allows the shipping sector to take action, but also provides guidance to policy makers”.
Moreover, shipping companies have been putting guidance into practice, as the MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company this year became the largest shipping company to reroute shipping lanes in the Mediterranean and Sri Lanka, areas known as hotspots for whale activity.
We believe that raising awareness of these issues and encouraging collaboration between industry, scientific bodies, civil society and governments is essential as we strive collectively to do more to minimise the risk of ship strikes
Stefania Lallai, Vice President Sustainability at MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, believes.
The impact of ship induced underwater radiated noise on marine mammals has also been an area of concern. Noise caused by shipping can disrupt whales’ ability to navigate underwater, leading to difficulty finding food and communicating with each other.
Reducing vessel speeds not only reduces the likelihood of ships striking whales, it has a beneficial effect on the level of underwater noise.
Whales are a vulnerable and endangered species. The ocean is their home, and we must make sure that international shipping activities are mindful of their presence. It is really positive to see our members working with NGOs on initiatives that address this serious issue
Guy Platten, ICS Secretary General, concluded.
