The monthly lecture series of the WNPS is now a monthly gathering looked forward to by both the membership and the general public. The depth of knowledge shared in the 60 minute lecture by an excellent line up of speakers has not only enriched the audience but has enabled the society to initiate measures in various conservation fronts.
Ship strikes on large whales
Sri Lankan blue whales within a global context
By Susannah Calderan
On Thursday the 10th of December 2020 at 6 pm via Zoom and FB Live
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One of the major threats to large whales globally is being struck by ships, which can cause severe injuries and death. These incidents happen throughout the world’s oceans, but particularly in areas where shipping and whales are concentrated. Sri Lanka is renowned for its
blue whales, but their habitat lies within one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. This lecture will look at ship strike problems elsewhere in the world such as the west and northeast coasts of the US, and the Mediterranean. I will look at the types of ships and whal e species most commonly involved in collisions, and the scientific research we are undertaking to understand the problem. I will discuss the types of measures which can be taken to mitigate the risk, such as slower speeds and re-routing of ships. I will describe the research we have carried out in Sri Lanka in collaboration with the University of Ruhuna to understand blue whale distribution of the south coast, and assess the ship strike risk. Ship strikes south of Sri Lanka mainly affect blue whales, but also other species such as sperm whales. The problem is particularly acute in Sri Lanka as the shipping lane runs through an area of high biological productivity, so not only are whales affected by the high level of shipping traffic, but also local fishermen and whale watch boats.
