Reduction in Ship Collisions

Since moving the shipping lanes, recorded death due to ship strikes in and around the Bay of Fundy has decreased by 50%. Between 1992-2002, four fatally struck whales were observed, whereas only two have been observed since 2003. Furthermore, the two deaths observed since 2003 were not directly in the conservation area. Rather, they were found in Digby, Nova Scotia, and Campobello Island, New Brunswick, which are both at the edges of the Bay of Fundy.

Population on the Rise

Right whale populations continue to increase at a rate of 2.6% per year, partly due to the reduced collision risk in critical habitat. John Logan from Irving Oil, one of the major companies involved in shipping in the area, is pleased with the changes. He states “The impact of moving these shipping lanes has been practically negligible, since it only takes ships a little longer to reach port”.

There’s an APP for that!

Conservation groups have come together to create an app called Whale Alert which can be used by boaters to receive live information about whales in the area, and about best practices for  traversing critical habitat.

Whale Alert as appears on an iPhone. Image source: NOAA