Tag: speed reduction

The Port of Vancouver announced that it will implement temporary and voluntary 15-knot speed restriction for tier 2 vessels in First Narrows Traffic Control Zone. The speed restriction will be in effect between July 6 and October 1, 2018. The voluntary 15-knot speed restriction aims to help keep port users safe.

Whales travel all around the world’s oceans, communicating with complex sounds. They currently are at the top of the food chain and play an important role in the overall health of the marine environment. However, despite their size and importance, they are in serious danger. Today 6 out of the 13 great whale species are endangered, even after decades of protection. So one issue emerges: Protecting whales. What can we do to protect whales and what has already been done to save these creatures?

California clean air regulations intended to minimize air pollution from ships have been proven vital for saving whales, according to a recent report issued in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management. To comply and conserve fuel, vessels have slowed down, which has resulted in fewer whales being killed due to collisions with ships.

When vessels slow down, underwater noise is reduced, and so does the impact on whales, according to a Vessel Slowdown Trial led by the Port of Vancouver's ECHO Program. Whales use sound to locate prey and ship noise can interfere with their ability to do this.

The VLCC (Very Large Crude Carriers) markets have staged a modest recovery ahead of market speculation that OPEC may relax production cut discipline and rising bunker prices which are providing a negotiating point for owners, according to data provided by VesselsValue.

Due to the changing migratory habits of the North Atlantic right whale and their increased presence in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada has put in place seasonal speed restrictions in a specified zone, from 28 April to 15 November 2018. These restrictions are a combination of static zone and dynamic speed reduction sectors.

A new study led by University of Victoria marine biologist Lauren McWhinnie warns that as Arctic sea ice shrinks and shipping traffic increases, vessel disturbance could very likely impact marine mammals such as belugas and bowhead whales, which rely on a quiet environment to communicate and forage.

In its latest Safety Digest, UK MAIB describes how a tug girted and then capsized, while assisting a UK-flagged container ship departing from port. The accident, mostly attributed to inexperience and lack of coordination among the bridge team, pilot and tug crew, resulted in two fatalities.

Xiamen has introduced the 'Marine Traffic Safety Regulation', which has come into force on 1 March 2018, and imposes that the maritime administration department shall take traffic control measures at specific sea areas during specific period in the event of heavy weather, the UK Club informed citing Huatai correspondents.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued an alert regarding the right whale Dynamic Management Area off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States, after three whales were spotted in this area. This DMA is in effect since 10 February 2018. Mariners are requested to route around this area or transit through it at 10 knots or less.