Spain, France, Italy and Monaco plan to deliver a formal report to the International Maritime Organization at the end of June. The proposal aims to declare the Northwest Mediterranean as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area, or PSSA. This designation would cover the marine protected area around Corsica and the cetacean corridor of the Spanish Levant, along with intermediate zones that currently lack a defined conservation status. The initiative centers on safeguarding a critical habitat for large whales in a region facing intense maritime activity.
In light of the proposal, OceanCare has urged governments to implement speed limits for all vessels based on solid scientific evidence. The goal is to reduce risks in a habitat where the presence of large whales is well documented and where protection actions are urgently needed.
Fin and sperm whale populations in the Mediterranean are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Recent estimates indicate the fin whale population may be about 1,800 mature individuals, a significant decrease from prior assessments.
Collisions with boats, the leading cause of death
Ship strikes stand as the main human-caused threat to fin and sperm whales in the northwestern Mediterranean, a zone with heavy maritime traffic and dense shipping routes. The pace of vessels in this area remains a major concern for whale conservation.
The volume of ship movement in this region reaches roughly 220,000 movements annually, with merchant ships typically traveling between 14 and 20 knots, and some high-speed vessels reaching speeds up to 35 knots. OceanCare notes that collisions have significantly contributed to the ongoing decline of these whale populations, raising the risk that they could disappear from the area altogether.
“The whales’ movements in this portion of the Mediterranean are unpredictable, making simple course alterations impractical. The only viable solution to prevent deadly collisions is to reduce ship speeds”, stated a spokesperson for OceanCare. [OceanCare] “Spain, France, Italy and Monaco deserve credit for moving toward a Northwest Mediterranean PSSA, yet the proposal risks becoming a ‘paper park’ if it does not include enforceable measures”, commented Carlos Bravo, the Spain representative for OceanCare.
“Effective protection of large whales requires mandatory speed reductions across all ships and a framework that ensures equal compliance for every shipping company”, Bravo added. He noted that the current draft does not sufficiently shield cetaceans from ship strikes, as it relies mainly on advisory guidance for mariners about navigating with extra caution when cetaceans are present in the PSSA, sometimes permitting speeds up to 13 knots in those zones.
The conservation community maintains that the recommended approach falls short of what scientific evidence shows to be truly effective in lowering marine mammal mortality from ship strikes. Based on consolidated data, proponents argue that the Northwest Mediterranean PSSA should include a mandatory maximum speed limit of 10 knots for all vessels, in order to provide real protection for cetaceans in the area.
Beyond wildlife safety, a universal speed reduction would bring practical benefits to the maritime sector by reducing fuel consumption and lowering emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. It would also lessen underwater noise, delivering multiple environmental advantages that extend beyond whale conservation.
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