The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recognized the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) positive work in reducing vessel speeds for a cleaner environment and better marine wildlife safety.
MSC, a Swiss container shipping line with the second largest global fleet capacity, has put in measures to slow its ships to improve air quality and reduce the risk of fatal whale strikes.
Commendations for its initiatives also came from the Cordell Bank and Greater Farallones national marine sanctuaries.
Large ship strikes are one of the most common causes of whale mortality around the world.
Orla Robinson, of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, discusses the sustainability of vessel speeds in a recent Port Technology technical paper
New speed restrictions, observed during the period when whales migrate to the area, mitigate potential collisions by reducing the risk of serious or fatal injuries if a strike does occur.
Reduced speeds also increase the odds that a whale will have sufficient time to react and avoid the collision.
Paolo Magnani, Executive Vice President of Marketing & Quality Control at MSC USA, said: “This is a great job and team effort by all involved, it reaffirms MSC’s commitment to protecting marine wildlife and preserving the biodiversity of our seas.
“We are very proud to be part of the NOAA program and it is particularly noteworthy that MSC had more compliant vessels than any other operator in the program in 2017.”
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