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Ships and Whales Don’t Mix - National Humane Education Society

Paws Up!
To the International Maritime Organization for protecting whales in California waters.

According to a news story, “Ship traffic off the California coast will be re-routed under new rules designed to protect slow-moving endangered whales from ship collisions.

“The International Maritime Organization has approved vessel lane changes on approaches to San Francisco Bay and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and in the Santa Barbara Channel. The changes take effect [in 2013].”

“Slow-moving whales are highly vulnerable to ship strikes because many of their feeding and migration areas overlap with shipping lanes. In 2007, four whales (all blue whales) were killed by confirmed or likely ship strikes in and around the Santa Barbara Channel, NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] said. In 2010, five whales (two blue, one humpback, and two fin whales) were killed by confirmed or likely ship strikes in the San Francisco area and elsewhere along the north-central California coast.”

Blue, humpback, and fin whales are protected by the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.

Unfortunately, every year there are ship collisions with endangered whales.

Take Action: Take a moment to thank the International Maritime Organization for protecting these endangered species.

Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General
International Maritime Organization
4, Albert Embankment
London
SE1 7SR
United Kingdom
Tele. No.: +44 (0)20 7735 7611
Fax No.: +44 (0)20 7587 3210
Email: info@imo.org

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