Friend of the Sea Launches the Whale-Safe Certification to Stop the Death of 20.000 Whales Every Year.
Whaleship strikes have now become a significant threat to big cetaceans. Collision skills are 20 times more whales than the controversial practice of whale hunting or whaling. It’s a silent massacre most people are unaware of. Every year, up to 20,000 whales die because of lethal collisions with vessels. The image of a dead whale stuck in the bow of a vast container symbolizes this tragedy, however, most of the time, their bodies sink without leaving a trace that could show the magnitude of this phenomenon.
THE VALUE OF A WHALE
Whales are the biggest animals on the planet. Unique, magnificent, and diverse. Some facts and figures give an account of their importance:
- Scientifics are still discovering new species and subspecies. Currently, they estimate there are 90 species of cetaceans. That includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
- A single great whale is worth more than $2 million, according to a study by the International Monetary Fund, which takes into account the whale’s contribution to carbon capture, the fishing industry, and the whale watching sector.
- Whales help us fight climate change. A great whale can accumulate an average of 33 tons of CO2 during its life. When they die, that stock of CO2 sinks to the bottom of the ocean.
WHY DO SHIP STRIKES OCCUR?
Collisions may occur anywhere vessels cross paths with marine life. Whales can be difficult for a vessel operator to see because they are not always clearly visible from the surface. And even if the operator sees the animal clearly, there may be no time for either of them to avoid a collision.
In some cases, evidence of collisions between ships and whales is obvious. Nevertheless, there are many other cases of floating or stranded whales whose death or serious injury may be related to collisions. Still, several studies indicate that available records tend to be underestimated since most ships are unaware of collisions.
The increasing size and speed of commercial ships, driven by economic interests, result in rising numbers of ship collisions with marine species, especially cetaceans (e.g. dolphins and whales). It is a recognized problem, with records indicating that the phenomenon occurs worldwide.
A NEW THREAT
Ship traffic has increased more than 300 percent since 1992, according to research with satellite data. It doubles every ten years, putting under pressure the entire ecosystem where whales travel, feed and breed. Worse still, modern vessels have augmented their speed, making it more difficult to avoid a strike if, by chance, they can spot a whale in their path. It is a worldwide phenomenon.
Friend of the Sea has identified 11 high-risk areas for collisions: the Mediterranean Sea, Sri Lanka, Patagonia, Panama, and the Western Arctic. (check out the map on our dossier).
- Sri Lanka – Blue Whales (6)
- Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand – Bryde’s Whales (7)
- Canary Island – Sperm Whales (8)
- Panama – Humpback whales (9)
- Eastern North Pacific (ENP) – Blue Whales
- Mediterranean Sea
- Balearic Islands – Fin and Sperm Whales
- Eastern Alboran Sea – Fin and Sperm Whales
- Pelagos Sanctuary – Fin Whales (11)
- Island of Crete – Sperm Whales
- Hellenic Trench, Greece – Sperm Whales (12)
- NE coast of Sakhalin Island – Western Gray Whale (13)
- Arabian Sea – Humpback whale (14)
- Chile – Peru (Southern Pacific) – Right Whale (15)
- Eastern Bering Sea – North Pacific Right Whale
- Western Arctic (USA and Russian) – Potential threats to Western Bowhead Whales
HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS
Human-induced mortality caused by ship strikes can impede whale population growth. Populations in the low hundreds of individuals are at risk of continuing declines even if only a small number of ship strikes occur per year. Therefore, it is important to identify small, in decline populations or for which human activities result in whale deaths or injuries.
The following species have been identified as “High-Risk Populations” (5):
- Western North Atlantic Right Whale
- Eastern North Pacific Right Whale
- Chile-Peru Right Whale
- Arabian Sea Humpback Whale
- Western Gray Whale
- Blue Whale – Sri Lanka and Arabian Sea
- Blue Whale – Chile
- Sperm Whale – Mediterranean Sea
- Fin Whale – Mediterranean Sea
- Bryde’s Whale – Gulf of Mexico
- Omura’s Whale – North Western Madagascar
- Sperm Whale – Canary Islands
©Photo: Gaelin Rosenwaks 
©Photo: Tui De Roy / Minden Pictures
To stop this bleeding, Friend of the Sea, a program from the World Sustainability Organization, has created the Whale-Safe international certification standard to raise awareness of this problem, engage the world shipping industry and reduce lethal collisions.
Investing in the search for information to reduce the threat of ship collisions will facilitate the implementation of measures that reconcile environmental and economic aspects whenever necessary and in a timely manner. All shipping companies that are aware of the problem and seek effective measures to combine economic gain withhttps://friendofthesea.org the preservation of endangered species can support this important conservation campaign.
To download the full Whale Ship Strikes dossier and a video on how to stop whale ship strikes, or to sign the Save the Whales petition, visit https://friendofthesea.org/marine-conservation-projects-and-awareness/save-the-whales-2
About Friend of The Sea
Friend of the Sea was founded by Paolo Bray, Director of International Programs – Dolphin-Safe Project / Earth Island Institute. The Dolphin-Safe Project saved millions of dolphins from death in tuna fishing nets and started the sustainable seafood movement.
Friend of the Sea is currently a project of the World Sustainability Organization, an international NGO whose mission is to promote environmental conservation.
Friend of the Sea has become the leading certification standard for products and services which respect and protect the marine environment. The certification awards sustainable practices in Fisheries, Aquaculture, Fishmeal and Omega 3 Fish Oil. Friend of the Sea also promotes pilot projects related to restaurants, sustainable shipping, whale and dolphin-watching, aquaria, ornamental fish, UV creams and others.
Friend of the Sea is the only sustainable fisheries certification process recognised and supervised globally by a National Accreditation Body. Several benchmark studies have confirmed the strength and reliability of the Friend of the Sea certification and chain of custody.
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media