To protect whales, ships must sail slowly
Every year, hundreds of tankers, car carriers and container ships from dozens of shipping companies take part in a special race in the waters off the coast of California.
To win, ships must sail slowly.
Prizes are awarded to companies whose fleets voluntarily reduce speed in marine areas where endangered whales migrate and feed. The prize, known as Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies, comes with a sculptural whale tail trophy and bragging rights.
“It’s good for the environment, and we’re making sure the public knows about it,” said Sean Hastings, a resource protection coordinator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a founder of the awards program, which was created by a coalition of national marine sanctuaries, air quality districts and other nonprofits. “That’s the motivation.”
The real winner may be ocean life.
Program officials say the 2023 season had the most participants ever — 33 companies. Eighty-one percent of the total distance their ships traveled through the reduction zones was at the recommended speed of 10 knots or less, reducing the risk of fatal ship strikes with whales over the year by 58 percent. Slower ships also generate less ocean noise and less greenhouse gases and other air pollution.
“It’s like drivers in a school zone slowing down in front of school children,” Mr. Hastings said. “Every animal counts.”
About 90 percent of all consumer goods are transported by sea, and the volume of maritime freight has increased dramatically in recent years, causing ships to grow in size and number. The resulting traffic, pollution and underwater noise have proven disastrous for marine life. Along the West Coast, an estimated 80 endangered blue, fin and humpback whales are killed each year by ship strikes, as warming waters caused by climate change move their food sources closer to shore, where they can collide with ships.
As part of an effort to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, speed limits are in place along the East Coast, and in recent years NOAA has slapped hefty fines on violators. But slowing ships off the coast of California remains voluntary, in part because endangered right whale populations number in the thousands, while researchers estimate there are fewer than 360 North Atlantic right whales left.
Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies began in 2014 as a pilot program to encourage shipping companies using the Santa Barbara Channel to slow down. Seven shipping companies signed up and slowed their ships from 14 to 18 knots to 12 knots, or about 14 miles per hour. The companies were offered $2,500 for each delayed trip.
More companies joined, and the financial incentives increased. As the program grew in popularity, the speed reduction zones were expanded to cover more of the Southern California coast, as well as the waters along San Francisco and Monterey Bays, and the target speed limit was reduced to 10 knots.
Tiered pricing was also rolled out, a deliberate tactic. “We are not a program to shame,” Mr. Hastings said.
The top-tier Sapphire award goes to companies whose ships are slowed down by slow zones for at least 85 percent of the total distance traveled. Gold awards require a minimum compliance rate of 60 percent and come with a plaque. Third place is the Blue Sky level, for companies whose ships are slowed down for at least 35 percent of the time.
Only the winners of the Sapphire receive whale tail trophies and in 2023 the cash incentives were abolished, which one shipping executive was happy with.
“We prefer more recognition, and I think people enjoy the ceremonies,” said Jack Duesler, West Coast regional operations manager for NYK Line, a major shipping company based in Japan. NYK has achieved Sapphire status three times in the past four seasons, much to the delight of Mr. Duesler’s bosses, who he said enjoy winning the whale tails.
“You go to a company and all of a sudden people thousands of miles away say, ‘I have to buy one,’” Mr. Duesler said.
Last season, 13 of the 33 participating shipping companies won Sapphire awards, including Taiwan-based Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation. Its chairman, Cheng Cheng-mount, said in an interview that the company was proud to secure a top position.
“Every year we check the ranking — it’s important to us,” Mr. Cheng said. “Not many companies could have won this award.”
Mr Hastings said that while the largest shipping companies participating in the programme are in the top 100, there is still room for around 100 more companies to join the programme.
The ships’ voyage data is provided by the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, which also runs a tracking program called Whale Safe. This spring, it unveiled a real-time tool that shows which shipping companies operating in North American waters are adhering to speed limits. also numbers companies from A+ to F.
Rachel Rhodes, project scientist at the lab, said the detailed reports had helped several poorly rated companies improve their scores.
“People are starting to make this a priority,” she said. “Nobody wants to hit a whale.”
