A new analysis of ship traffic data presented by OceanCare and Quiet-Oceans shows that more than 80% of the distances travelled by merchant ships in the north-western part of the Mediterranean Sea in 2023 were at speeds of more than 10 knots.
As explained, the area under study has been designated as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2023 to reduce the risk of collisions with lethal consequences for fin and sperm whales.
The best available scientific data indicates that the probability of a collision having a lethal effect on a whale is very low when the ship’s speed does not exceed 10 knots. The data analysis carried out by OceanCare using data provided by Quiet Oceans shows that:
- 57 per cent of the total distance of 48 million kilometres travelled by all ships in the PSSA in 2023 was in the speed range above 10 knots.
- Only 15 per cent of a total of 27.8 kilometres travelled by merchant vessels was in the “safe speed” range below 10 knots.
- Roll-on roll-off ferries in particular are the vessels that use the PSSA the most, with a total of more than 10 million kilometres travelled in 2023 of which more than 90 per cent was at speeds exceeding 10 knots and almost 30 per cent at speeds exceeding 20 knots.
The data we processed reveal a clear understanding of the problem and we know what needs to be done to prevent these amazing creatures from being rammed by ships. So why not act accordingly. Adjusting shipping routes is not a risk mitigation option in this particular area, as whales use the whole area randomly and their presence is difficult to predict. Reducing the speed of vessels is positive in many ways.
…Thomas Folegot, President and CEO of Quiet Oceans said.
The north-western Mediterranean Sea is home to fin whales and sperm whales, both subpopulations in the Mediterranean Sea listed as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Ship strikes are the main single cause for human-induced death for these whales. Adjusting shipping routes is not a risk mitigation option here, as the whales use the entire area randomly and their presence is difficult to predict. Due to their low reproduction rate avoiding every fatal collision is relevant to protect them.
Spain has taken the lead in advancing conservation efforts in the region, by designating the waters between the Balearic Islands and the Spanish mainland as a Marine Protected Area (MPA), which was also declared afterwards a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) within the Barcelona Convention framework. Therefore, the government is obliged to put in place a management plan for this area, also known as the Cetacean Migratory Corridor, that effectively regulates human activities that threaten the MPA’s protection objective, which is to provide safe feeding, resting and migration habitats for numerous endangered species, such as fin whales and sperm whales.
We want to reconcile maritime transport activity with the protection of the great whales in the Cetacean Migration Corridor. For this, the only effective measure at the moment is to include a mandatory speed reduction measure for ships in the management plan for this Marine Protected Area that is being drawn up by the Spanish government.
..Carlos Bravo Villa, Spokesperson of OceanCare in Spain explained.
