Assessing cetacean encounter risk in offshore racing

Area of Science:

• Marine biology
• Conservation science
• Vessel traffic analysis

Background:

• Large cetaceans face anthropogenic threats, with vessel collisions causing significant mortality.
• Collisions between offshore racing vessels and large whales result in severe consequences for both species and vessels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an encounter model for large cetaceans and offshore racing vessels.
• To estimate the number of potential encounters along established racing routes.
• To assess the effectiveness of vessel rerouting to mitigate collisions.

Main Methods:

• Developed a predictive model incorporating cetacean and vessel characteristics.
• Applied the model to three common offshore racing routes (Newport-Skagen, Dover-Gibraltar, Gibraltar-Genoa).
• Simulated the impact of rerouting vessels away from cetacean exclusion zones.

Main Results:

• Estimated encounters: 1.7 (Route 1), 4.1 (Route 2), 2.6 (Route 3).
• Vessel rerouting demonstrated a significant potential to reduce cetacean-vessel encounters.
• The model provides a tool for assessing and mitigating collision risks.

Conclusions:

• The developed encounter model is crucial for understanding and reducing whale-vessel collisions.
• Strategic rerouting of vessels is a viable solution for mitigating anthropogenic impacts on large cetaceans.
• Further development of collision reduction methods is essential globally.