Compliance with vessel speed restrictions to protect North Atlantic right whales Gregory K. Silber1, Jeffrey D. Adams1, Christopher J. Fonnesbeck2 Published June 3, 2014. Hundreds of fatal vessel collisions (or “strikes”) with large whales have been reported, worldwide (Laist et al., 2001; Van Waerebeek et al., 2007). In fact, the actual number of strikes is likely far greater than the reported number because many go undetected or unreported. Collisions with ships are a serious threat to the recovery of the highly depleted North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) (Kraus et al., 2005) and collisions along with incidental entanglement in commercial fishing gear, have retarded the recovery of this species (NMFS, 2005). A link has been established between vessel speed and the likelihood of death of a vessel-struck whale whereby the probability of death of a whale involved in a collision increases as vessel speed increases (Vanderlaan & Taggart, 2007; Conn & Silber, 2013). To address the threat to the recovery of the North Atlantic right whale, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued regulations in November 2008 requiring all vessels 65 feet (19.8 m) and greater in length to travel at 10 knots or less in areas where North Atlantic right whales and high vessel density co-occur (NMFS, 2008). These areas, called seasonal management areas (SMA), are located along the east coast of the U.S. Atlantic seaboard and are active for fixed periods of the year that correspond with seasonal North Atlantic right whale migration, feeding, calving and nursery activities (Fig. 1). The regulations are broad in geographic scope and affect a substantial number of entities, including nearly all tanker, cargo (e.g., container ships, vehicle transport vessels), passenger vessels, and ferries engaged in international and domestic transport of goods and people entering major U.S. ports.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:09:13 +0000
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