COLLISIONS WITH VESSELS
Friend of the Sea Launches the Whale-Safe Certification to Stop the Death of 20,000 Whales Every Year.
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t’s a silent massacre most people are unaware of. Every year, up to 20,000 whales die because of lethal collisions with vessels. The image of a dead whale stuck in the bow of a vast container symbolizes this tragedy. However, most of the time, their bodies sink without leaving a trace that could show the magnitude of this phenomenon. Whale ship strikes have now become a significant threat to big cetaceans. Collision skill 20 times more whales than the controversial practice of whale hunting or whaling.
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To stop this bleeding, Friend of the Sea, a program from the World Sustainability Organization, has created the Whale-Safe international certification standard to raise awareness of this problem, engage the world shipping industry and reduce lethal collisions. THE VALUE OF A WHALE Whales are the biggest animals on the planet. Unique, magnificent, and diverse. Some facts and figures give an account of their importance: - Scientifics are still discovering new species and subspecies. Currently, they estimate there are 90 species of cetaceans. That includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises - A single great whale is worth
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
more than $2 million, according to a study by the International Monetary Fund, which takes into account the whale’s contribution to carbon capture, the fishing industry, and the whale watching sector. - Whales help us fight climate change. A great whale can accumulate an average of 33 tons of CO2 during its life. When they die, that stock of CO2 sinks to the bottom of the ocean. A NEW THREAT Ship traffic has increased more than 300 percent since 1992, according to research with satellite data. It doubles everyten years, putting under pressure the entire ecosystem where whales travel, feed www.lancmag.com
