BIMCO, as a key entity in the shipping industry, has introduced tools that help shipping companies reduce the risk of collisions with whales. Given the migration of whales to critical areas, many authorities have taken measures to regulate ship traffic in these regions.
Protective Measures in Canada and the Pacific Ocean
In Canada, extensive protective measures for North Atlantic right whales are in place throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A voluntary speed reduction in the Cabot Strait has been reactivated and will continue until November 15. This measure applies to vessels longer than 13 meters, and the Canadian Ministry of Transport requests a maximum speed reduction of 10 knots in this area. This area is particularly important due to the bottlenecks that make whales more vulnerable.
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On the west coast of Canada, in Admiralty Inlet and the northern Puget Sound, a voluntary speed reduction project is in place to protect southern resident killer whales, requesting all vessels to reduce their speed to 10 knots until January 31.
Digital Tools to Reduce Whale Collisions
Digital tools can assist shipping companies in reducing collisions with whales. "Whale Guardians" focuses on proactive voyage planning, while "Whale Alert" provides near real-time information that helps crews respond to the presence of whales and management actions during their journey. The Whale Guardians platform has created a tool that consolidates all whale routing actions into an API (Application Programming Interface). This API can be used in existing navigation planning systems to incorporate sensitive areas for whales and recommended actions into ship route planning.
The Whale Alert platform also acts as a tool to reduce the risk of ship collisions with whales. This platform clearly and understandably displays information related to whale sightings and vessel speed restrictions for crews. Utilizing over 20,000 annual whale sightings from reputable monitoring networks and technologies, Whale Alert provides near real-time awareness of whale activity.
Finally, the collaboration of the World Shipping Council (WSC) with HUB Ocean has launched a digital version of the whale map, which combines actions related to reducing whale collisions and underwater noise into an interactive mapping platform. These tools help shipping companies move towards whale conservation and safer navigation.
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