National Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin. Department of Commerce First Coast Guard District Department of Homeland Security
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2007
NOAA: Anne Smrcina
(781)545-8026
Teri Frady
(508) 495-2239
USCG: Ben Benson
(617) 223-8515
NOAA & COAST GUARD HELP SHIFT
TO REDUCE RISK OF COLLISIONS WITH WHALES
**Interviews Available**
Years of effort by NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard will pay off this weekend when, for the first time in the
Beginning July 1, ships transiting in and out of
The lane shift adds 3.75 nautical miles to the overall distance and 10 to 22 minutes to each one-way trip. It also improves safety by moving large ship traffic further away from areas frequently transited by smaller fishing boats, and by reducing chances of damage to large ships owing to collisions with whales or with other ships while attempting to avoid whales.
“This is a large part of NOAA’s effort to work with its partners and industry to improve the prospects for endangered
“This change highlights how the Coast Guard protects ‘people from the sea and the sea from people.’ Whale collisions with ships pose a significant hazard that we needed to better control,” said Coast Guard Capt. Liam Slein, First Coast Guard District Chief of Prevention. “We expect this small change will protect numerous whales while also reducing the damage and hazards such collisions cause.”
"I am pleased to see the cooperative efforts of NOAA and the United States Coast Guard result in a plan that will reduce the risk of collisions between large ships and whales in the shipping lanes in and out of
Senator Judd Gregg stated, “The relocation of the shipping lanes is the culmination of years of research and negotiation. I commend the USCG and NOAA for their hard work. I am hopeful that this action, in concert with our other efforts, will result in a more stable and healthy whale population, and will help prevent the unnecessary ship strike deaths of the very endangered right whales.”
C
ongressman Stephen F. Lynch, who represents the Port of Boston, said, "It is an extraordinary challenge to balance the commercial needs of the Port of Boston with the importance of protecting marine life and the environment, and the Coast Guard and NOAA are doing a remarkable job. It is critical that we maintain a viable working port, while also preserving the natural habitats and sea lanes used by whales--notably, the Northern right whale. We will continue to monitor the situation going forward to ensure that our policies move us closer to both of those goals."
NOAA researchers calculated the spatial density of whales in the NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to determine if collision risks in the area could be reduced by moving the shipping lanes. The Coast Guard assessed safety and navigational effects of the shift on commercial ship traffic. Data on whale presence used in the analysis was collected over a 25-year period, and provided by the
The International Maritime Organization approved the
Approximately 3,500 ship transits occur within the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary every year, with the vast majority using the lanes. The shift rotated the east-west leg of the lanes by 12 degrees to the north, and lengthened the north-south lane to account for this adjustment. The lanes themselves were narrowed by one-half mile, to a width of 1.5 miles each. The width of the buffer between outgoing and incoming traffic was not affected.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is celebrating 200 years of science and service to the nation. From the establishment of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation of the Weather Bureau and the Commission of Fish and Fisheries in the 1870s, much of
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.
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EDITORS: NOAA and Coast Guard personnel are available for on-camera interviews. To schedule, contact Lt. Cmdr. Ben Benson, USCG, at (617)223-8515.
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