North Atlantic right whales are “one of the world’s most endangered large whale species,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). To protect the approximately 350 remaining, NOAA Fisheries proposed amendments to the current vessel speed regulations on the East Coast of the U.S.
The largest threats to whales are collisions with ships, entanglements with ropes and nets, and climate change, according to NOAA.
In speed zones, vessels are required to lower their...
In an effort to save endangered whales, CMA CGM is partnering with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to assemble and deploy two acoustic monitoring buoys off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, and Savannah, Georgia, this year.
The goal of the project is to get better monitoring data for whales, especially North Atlantic right whales, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Only about 336 of these great whales remain, according to a...
Hopeful future for endangered whales thanks to funding boost
An important marine monitoring programme will help piece together vital information on a number of critically endangered marine species, including the North Atlantic right whale.
Thanks to new funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (US), and the Marine Biological...
Oceangoing vessels are critical in transporting goods internationally, but the growing demand for ocean shipping also impacts marine life below the surface.
Collisions between ships and whales are increasing, and researchers are likely underestimating the frequency of these events, according to Friend of the Sea, a global marine conservation project that is part of a larger environmental group, World Sustainability Organization.
“Increases in the size and number of ships in the trading fleets of...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-to-fight-the-silent-massacre-of-whale-ship-collisions
Vessel speed limits must be mandatory offshore when endangered northern right whales are present, because ship strikes are a leading cause of deaths in the whale population now down to only around 400 animals, ocean conservation groups say in an appeal to the U.S. government.
“The unprecedented number of recent deaths and serious injuries warrants the agency acting quickly to ensure that this endangered species receives the protections necessary to reduce the risk of vessel strikes and ensure...
Last week, the Canadian government announced it had fined a vessel for endangering North Atlantic right whales.
Endangered whales such as the majestic North Atlantic right whale deserve to swim danger-free in Canadian waters, according to Transport Canada. That is why the government of Canada has introduced several measures to address risks they face by marine shipping and fishing activity.
One of the implemented measures includes speed restrictions in certain zones in the Gulf of St. Lawrence,...
https://www.workboat.com/news/government/canada-fines-vessel-for-violating-speed-restriction/