Slow down to protect ocean’s wildlife, researcher pleads
Bigger boats have a higher risk of harming marine mammals, and tapping back the throttle is the best way to minimise the damage, research showsThe call has gone out for owners of bigger motor yachts to slow down while cruising through fragile marine sanctuaries, helping them to save fuel and more importantly, protect wildlife.
Slowing down to a cruising speed of less than 15 knots would reduce the risk of collisions with whales and dolphins, the Italy-based Tethys Research Institute claims.
“Scientific evidence proves that boats heavier than 80 tonnes, which go faster than 15 knots, pose a higher risk of collision to cetaceans (marine mammals),” Tethys marine biologist Sabina Airoldi said.
“Because of their large size, fin whales and sperm whales find it hard to avoid fast-moving boats, putting them at higher risk of collisions, which can often be fatal.”
Whales are also a waterway hazard in Australia. In late August, a Queensland boater required a dramatic night-time rescue after his craft collided at high speed with a whale and broke in two.
Sanctuary studied
The evidence that slowing down helps to reduce trauma on marine life comes from a study of the Pelagos Sanctuary, an 87,000-square-kilometre wildlife reserve located in the Mediterranean Sea between Italy, Monaco and France.
“There are eight species of cetaceans in the Pelagos Sanctuary, with around 400 fin whales and approximately 38,000 striped dolphins,” the study said.
“The institute tracks the mammals via satellites and studies the complex interplay of their behavior in relation to human activities.
“But there are around 9000 boats in the sanctuary’s waters every day, and approximately 22,000 ships of more than 100 tonnes in the Mediterranean as a whole, which leads to a congestion of space.”
Italian yacht-maker Amer Yachts built special software into its boats’ navigation systems that allowed operators to mark the locations of the fish and mammals they located, and share the information with researchers.
“This system shows boaters how behave sympathetically in the presence of animals and will be a great contribution to science,” Airoldi said. “It allows them [Amer Yacht owners] to become citizen scientists.”
Fuelling passion
Engine maker Volvo Penta has also jumped onboard with the call to pull back on the taps when cruising.
“When boaters cruise slowly, they will be moving in a way that is better for wildlife, and that is something that everyone out on the water should be aware of,” Volvo Penta yacht product manager Bjorn Ronnvall said.
“It’s important that the captain knows the specific fuel consumption at every speed. Sometimes you need to cruise fast, but cruising slowly is more efficient and better for the environment.”
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