Keeping vessel speeds below 10 knots is the only effective way to avoid the risk of fatal collisions with endangered whales in areas such as the Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, where adjusting of ship routes is not a practically feasible option.
A new traffic data analysis by OceanCare and Quiet-Oceans shows that 80 percent of the distances travelled by merchant ships in the PSSA in 2023 were at speeds of more than 10 knots. In particular, roll-on roll-of ferries, with a total of more than 10 million kilometres travelled in 2023, cruised at higher speeds for more than 90 per cent of their distances.
OceanCare and its partner organisations ask the Spanish government to include a mandatory ship speed limit in the future management plan for the Marine Protected Area “Cetacean Migratory Corridor” that is part of the PSSA.
A new analysis of ship traffic data presented by OceanCare and Quiet-Oceans today shows that more than 80 per cent of the distances travelled by merchant ships in the north-western part of the Mediterranean Sea in 2023 were at speeds of more than 10 knots. The area under study has been designated as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2023 to reduce the risk of collisions with lethal consequences for fin and sperm whales.
The best available scientific data indicates that the probability of a collision having a lethal effect on a whale is very low when the ship’s speed does not exceed 10 knots. The data analysis carried out by OceanCare using data provided by Quiet Oceans shows that:
57 per cent of the total distance of 48 million kilometres travelled by all ships in the PSSA in 2023 was in the speed range above 10 knots.
Only 15 per cent of a total of 27.8 kilometres travelled by merchant vessels was in the “safe speed” range below 10 knots.
Roll-on roll-off ferries in particular are the vessels that use the PSSA the most, with a total of more than 10 million kilometres travelled in 2023 of which more than 90 per cent was at speeds exceeding 10 knots and almost 30 per cent at speeds exceeding 20 knots.
Thomas Folegot, President and CEO of Quiet Oceans said:
“The data we processed reveal a clear understanding of the problem and we know what needs to be done to prevent these amazing creatures from being rammed by ships. So why not act accordingly. Adjusting shipping routes is not a risk mitigation option in this particular area, as whales use the whole area randomly and their presence is difficult to predict. Reducing the speed of vessels is positive in many ways. It reduces the risk of collisions with whales, but it also reduces underwater noise emissions, which pose an additional threat to these amazing mammals.”
The north-western Mediterranean Sea is home to fin whales and sperm whales, both subpopulations in the Mediterranean Sea listed as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Ship strikes are the main single cause for human-induced death for these whales. Adjusting shipping routes is not a risk mitigation option here, as the whales use the entire area randomly and their presence is difficult to predict. Due to their low reproduction rate avoiding every fatal collision is relevant to protect them.
Spain has taken the lead in advancing conservation efforts in the region, by designating the waters between the Balearic Islands and the Spanish mainland as a Marine Protected Area (MPA), which was also declared afterwards a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) within the Barcelona Convention framework. Therefore, the government is obliged to put in place a management plan for this area, also known as the Cetacean Migratory Corridor, that effectively regulates human activities that threaten the MPA’s protection objective, which is to provide safe feeding, resting and migration habitats for numerous endangered species, such as fin whales and sperm whales.
Carlos Bravo Villa, Spokesperson of OceanCare in Spain explained:
“We want to reconcile maritime transport activity with the protection of the great whales in the Cetacean Migration Corridor. For this, the only effective measure at the moment is to include a mandatory speed reduction measure for ships in the management plan for this Marine Protected Area that is being drawn up by the Spanish government.
“We need to make the Cetacean Migration Corridor a success story, demonstrating that maritime traffic can be managed in a way that avoids running over endangered whales. In other areas of the world where vessel speed has been mandatorily limited, this has proven to be a highly effective measure.
“A legally binding speed reduction measure would provide a level playing field for all companies and avoid creating competitive distortions between those who are willing to reduce speed for the sake of the whales and those who are not.”
OceanCare and nine other environmental organisations (Alnitak, ClientEarth, Ecologistas en Acción, GOB Mallorca, Greenpeace, Marilles, Oceana, Save The Med, WWF) are calling on the Spanish government to incorporate a mandatory speed limit for ships in the management plan. With this measure, Spain could set an internationally relevant example for sustainable maritime development and influence positively the protection of whales in the north-western Mediterranean.
The analysis provides details of the total distance travelled per speed ranges by the entire shipping traffic in the Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) of the NW Mediterranean broken down by categories of vessels, such as ro-ro ferries, passenger ferries, container ships, tankers and others, as well as recreational boats.
A month ago, on World Oceans Day 2024, OceanCare launched an international petition “Because Our Planet Is Blue” to world leaders with six action points for effective ocean protection. Among other demands, the initiative calls on governments to implement mandatory measures to reduce vessel speed.
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