Contributions

  • Cole, Timothy V. N. - Contributor
  • Northeast Fisheries Science Center (U.S.) - Contributor

Publication

2007 - U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Region, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, Mass, Massachusetts

Language

English

Word Count

4,500 words, Guess

Page Count

18 pages

Physical Format

Electronic resource

Identifiers

Description

Ship strike mortality remains one of the two primary causes for lack of recovery of the North Atlantic population of northern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis). As a result, NOAA Fisheries has identified a number of actions to reduce interactions between ships and whales. Central to this approach is the concept that ship strike mortality risk can be reduced either by slowing ships or by separating vessels and whales. More specifically, in the Great South Channel Seasonal Management Area (GSCSMA) of the southern Gulf of Maine, NOAA is considering an April July requirement that all vessels over 300 gross tons travel no faster than 10 kts. To physically separate whales and vessels, NOAA is also considering (a) designating the Great South Channel critical habitat (GSCCH) area as an International Maritime Organization (IMO)-approved Area To Be Avoided (ATBA) and (b) narrowing (by 1 nm) the Boston Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS). We analyzed the risk reduction of right whale ship strikes which could result from the above two proposals by using data on commercial shipping traffic and right whale sightings collected during AprilJuly 1999-2005.

Subjects

Series Statement

  • NOAA technical memorandum NMFS-NE -- 202

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