US ships paid bonus to avoid whales

US ships paid bonus to avoid whales
Monday 20 Oct 2014 6:34 p.m

Cargo vessels in one of America's busiest shipping lanes are being paid a bonus not to get in or out of port as fast as they can.

The companies are paid US$2500 (NZ$3145) for each ship that reduces it speed in an attempt to reduce the number of whales killed in hit-and-runs.

The initiative is being tried out in the waters off Santa Barbara - which at times is both a maritime schoolyard and a motorway.

Reducing the speed of ships to 12 knots or less – down from the usual speed of 14 to 16 knots – can cut down the chance of whales being struck.

"In 2007 we really became aware of this issue. We had five confirmed ship strikes on whales in our channel in three weeks," says Kristi Birney from the Environmental Defense Center. "Scientists estimate that there is actually 10 times the number of whales hit than actually are found."

More:
http://www.3news.co.nz/world/us-ships-paid-bonus-to-avoid-whales-2014102018