International Maritime Organization (IMO) affiliated to the UN, has decided to definitively declare the Northwest Mediterranean region a Particularly Sensitive Marine Area (ZMES). ship collisions with big whales (sperm whales and fin whales) are still the inhabitants of this heavy marine traffic area. The decision was taken at the suggestion of France, Spain, Italy and Monaco and stretches from the coast of Catalonia to northern Italy, including the island of Corsica.
Measures were taken for the first time in this part of the Mediterranean to reduce ship collisions with large cetaceans, which are the main cause of death for some species. main decision reduce the cruising speed of ships although to a certain extent such a discount will not be mandatory, it will be voluntary onlydisappointed marine conservation assets.
The appointment of this PSSA is accompanied by the clear recognition by IMO that ship collisions are the leading cause of human-caused deaths for fin whales and sperm whales in this part of the Mediterranean. The movement of ships in this area is very high, about 220,000 per year, while on commercial ships the average speed is 14 to 20 knots. even up to 35 knots on high speed boats.
“Should have had”
“IMO has taken an important first step in the right direction by definitively confirming the designation of a Specially Sensitive Marine Area in these waters of great environmental value, but The ship speed reduction measure included in your proposal must be mandated to ensure its effectiveness. “On reducing the risk of deadly collisions with large whales,” said Nicolas Entrup, Director of International Affairs at marine conservation organization OceanCare, an organization that calls for effective measures to counter this threat to marine fauna.
Experts agree that it is still difficult to predict where in this part of the Mediterranean these mammals were found at any given time. the option to change course to avoid collision with the ships themselves is not possible in this case. Therefore, it is considered that the only valid measure to reduce the risk of fatal collision is to reduce the speed of ships.
In fact, in November 2021, the Scientific Committee of the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean and Contiguous Atlantic Region (ACCOBAMS) adopted a recommendation emphasizing “when it is not possible to establish routes to hold.” whales from ships, Reducing the speed is the only measure shown to reduce fatal collisions with most large whales.The Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) came to the same conclusion at its meeting in 2022.
Already in December 2022, all States of the Mediterranean basin agreed to “promote the implementation of lowering ship speeds (for example, slow navigation) as an operational measure that provides numerous environmental benefits, including reduction of underwater noise and greenhouse gasses”. Encourage such measures in the context of the risk of collision with ships as well as gas emissions and the proposal for a Particularly Sensitive Maritime Area in the Northwest Mediterranean”.
“Especially as shipping traffic, ship size and speed continue to increase, the impact of ship attacks is now internationally recognized as a significant threat to marine mammals. Collisions involve a wide variety of ships, and the risk of collision increases with ship speed (as does the severity of injury to the animal),” states OceanCare.
Current scientific data show that When the ship’s speed does not exceed 10 knots, the probability of a collision with a fatal effect on the whale is very low.
Approved safeguards
The approved safeguards target all merchant ships and pleasure yachts with a gross tonnage equal to or greater than 300 tonnes.Although purely advisory. They shall not apply to any warship or other government ship operated for non-commercial purposes.
Therefore, “Wanderers should navigate with particular care in the ZMES of the northwestern Mediterranean in areas where the presence of large and medium-sized cetaceans has been detected or reported, and Reduce your speed to between 10 and 13 knots as an optional speed reduction (VSR). However, a safe speed must be maintained so that appropriate and effective measures can be taken to avoid collision and any possible adverse effect on the maneuverability of the ship.
For OceanCare, Carlos Bravo, representative of the entity in question, said, “Just by taking a measure to necessarily reduce the speed of ships, it may be possible to effectively protect large whales while creating an even playing field for all shipping companies.” Spain.
IMO’s own MEPC Resolution for PSSA designation accepts this “The whale population has suffered collisions with ships in the area, and therefore the cetacean population is at risk.. Without relevant conservation measures to reduce the risk of collision within the perimeter of the ZMES, a reduction in populations of medium and large marine mammals can be expected. Implementing a speed reduction strategy will significantly reduce the likelihood of wildlife-related collisions and fatal injuries”.
Description of the field included in ZMES
PSMA recommendation for the northwest of the Mediterranean It covers the waters between Valencia and Genoa, which have been identified by marine mammal researchers as critical habitat for fin and sperm whales.and includes areas of extreme environmental value. These include:
• Mediterranean Cetacean Migration CorridorLocated between the coasts of Catalonia and Valencia and the Balearic Islands, declared a Marine Protected Area by the Spanish Government and an Area of Specially Protected Importance for the Mediterranean (ZEPIM) with the Barcelona Convention,
• Pelagos Marine Mammal Conservation Areain the Ligurian Sea,
• Marine Mammal Areas Important (IMMA) It is called the “Lion’s Bay Shelf” and the “Slopes and Canyons System of the Northwest Mediterranean”.
In addition to fin whales and sperm whales, several cetacean species are found in the Northwest Mediterranean PSMA, and in addition to the previous two, six other species are regularly found throughout the year: Cuvier’s beaked whales and pilot whales, pilot whales. , bottlenose dolphin, striped dolphin and common dolphin.
Great-finned whale and sperm whale concentration
The importance of this field for fin whales are clear: the estimated abundance of this species within ZMES represents about 67% of the entire Mediterranean population, According to the latest data from ACCOBAMS published in 2021. sperm whale, A 2017 estimate of half the proposed PSMA (all Pelagos Reserve and French waters) compared to the total Mediterranean estimate of around 1,400 people was 300 to 600 people, with higher numbers in winter.
From the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, The Mediterranean has experienced a 58% increase in maritime traffic capacity and a 30% increase in ship size since 1997.. Maritime transport in the Mediterranean basin is expected to increase both in the number of routes and in intensity in the coming years, especially in connection with the expansion of the Suez Canal.
……..
Contact details of the environment department: [email protected]