Protecting Whales
Whales and other cetaceans who travel far and spend considerable time at the surface are especially vulnerable to injury by vessel traffic. WSC is working closely with NGO’s, governments, regional and local authorities and in the IMO to find ways to protect whales from ship strikes.
WSC Whale Chart - a navigational aid to protect whales
Accidental collisions between ships and whales are an international concern, and can occur wherever there is an overlap between whale activity and vessel traffic. The first global mapping of all mandatory and voluntary governmental measures to reduce harm to whales from ships, the WSC Whale Chart helps seafarers plan their voyages to minimize the risk of collisions.
The WSC Whale Chart offers seafarers critical navigational coordinates and concise graphics to identify routing measures and areas subject to static speed restrictions designed to protect whales and other cetaceans.
We hope that by compiling this unique navigational aid, keeping it updated and making it available for free to all navigators, we can help reduce ship strikes and safeguard endangered whale populations across the globe.
The WSC Whale Chart is available for free to download below, and will be regularly updated.
Photo: Delphi Waters, Great Whale Conservancy
WSC members are container and roll-on-roll off carriers, with vessels that transit waters across the globe. We work on the ocean and very much appreciate the risk of whale strikes. WSC works closely with NGOs to support research to learn more about whales and their habits, in order to find the best ways to protect them.
Among our partners are:
Russell Leaper, marine biologist
To this end we are working with partners to separate shipping traffic from known areas of significant whale activity where possible.
One of our focus areas is the waters south of Sri Lanka, where every week hundreds of ships travel between Europe and Asia.
For purposes of navigational safety, many waters subject to heavy maritime traffic have traffic separation lanes, proposed by national governments and implemented through international rules.
Unfortunately, the current traffic separation scheme located south of Sri Lanka overlies a major feeding area for blue whales. This presents a significant risk of ship strikes as well as other safety risks.
The WSC in partnership with all of the major groups representing international shipping as well as environmental organizations, have asked the Sri Lankan government to create a new traffic separation scheme south of the current location. This would effectively eliminate the risk of whale strikes in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
We are working with the Great Whale Conservancy, IFAW, and the International Maritime Organization and have reached out to the highest levels of the Sri Lankan government, asking them to support this action.
This initiative is an example of why coordination between the shipping industry, national governments, marine conservation groups, and international regulatory authorities is essential if we want to construct effective solutions that can lower the risks to whales and other cetaceans.
Working together to protect whales
As the world's oceans are subject to higher levels of exploration and use, including increasing ship traffic, concern has grown about these activities increasing ambient noise in the marine environment. Specifically, researchers are concerned about the effect elevated noise levels have on marine mammal communications, breeding, and general behaviour patterns.
To help evaluate these concerns and to develop measures to help lessen noise generated by maritime traffic the we are working with the International Maritime Organization, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other interested parties.
How are whales affected by noise?
