In the Indian Ocean, south of the coast of Sri Lanka, an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) has been identified by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Many blue whales are observed there throughout the year. Known as the largest animal living on our planet, the Blue Whale is also classified by the IUCN as “Endangered”.

Sensitive to the pressures of maritime activities, the whales in Sri Lanka waters are highly threatened by the intensity of maritime traffic. The passage of numerous commercial ships, combined with the high concentration of whales in this area, increases the risk of collisions between ships and whales.    

The separation of maritime traffic : the solution to slow down the increase of the risk of collisions ?      

The scientific community, along with major shipping organizations, have agreed to submit a proposal for the implementation of a traffic separation scheme in order to have an international shipping corridor recognized 15 nautical miles to the south.

Based on these recommendations, the MSC Group took the initiative, in 2022, to modify the route of its ships to avoid this particularly risky area.                                                                                                                                  

Stefania Lallai, Vice President Sustainability at MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, commented: 

“We believe that the commercial shipping  sector has an important role to play in protecting cetaceans, specifically in helping to reduce the risk of ship collisions with whales. MSC is proud to rank at or near the top of whale safety shipping rankings. However, we are not at all complacent. We believe that rising awareness of these issues and encouraging collaboration between industry, scientific bodies, civil society and governments is essential as we strive collectively to do more to minimize the risk of ship strikes.”

Stefania Lallai

This decision is great news for the blue whales that frequent these waters. By deviating their route by only 15 nautical miles, the risk of collision is reduced by 95%.

What about the implementation of the system on an international scale?

The initiative taken by MSC Group could become the trigger for the implementation of an international traffic separation scheme, thus allowing the blue whale population to be protected from the risk of collision with a ship.

A well-known humpback whale from the American West Coast was found stranded on 8/29/2022 in Halfmoon Bay on the coast of California. This humpback whale was nicknamed “Fran” (or CRC-12049) and was a well-known female in the region. She had been regularly observed over the years (she was the second most reported humpback whale on the Happywhale platform), she had been seen 277 times between 2005 and 2022 mostly offshore of California and Mexico.

The Marine Mammal Center conducted a necropsy on the animal and determined that it died as a result of a collision with a ship. 

“This humpback whale had an extensive contusion on its right chest, a fractured first cervical vertebra and its skull was dislocated from the spine,” said Pádraig Duignan, director of pathology at the Marine Mammal Center, in a press release. He also said the whale was in excellent physical condition.

Ship strikes are the main cause of unnatural mortality in large cetaceans worldwide. The survival of certain species of large cetaceans is directly threatened by shipstrikes. This is notably the case for the North Atlantic right whale. As a reminder, on a global scale, the humpback whale is the second most affected species by collisions with commercial ships.

But there are solutions to limit collisions!

In the Mediterranean, the REPCET® system allows equipped vessels to share in real time the position of cetaceans they observe on their navigation routes. In this way, crews are warned in real time of the presence of cetaceans on their shipping lanes and can make the appropriate maneuvers to avoid a collision.

For more information:

• On it’s sightings : https://happywhale.com/individual/7%F0%9F%98%AD;enc=267591
• On its stranding: https://www.facebook.com/whalesinmexico/posts/pfbid02GUPHFM5zuMSYZ6X2BH6NcveecbQWjK9wwQbPwx4YEcq3VWnGcwm4QhMtBqeQic7rl

The REPCET® system was co-developed by Souffleurs d’Ecume and Chrisar Software Technologies. Scientific and educational monitoring is provided by the NGO MIRACETI. The system has been operational since 2010. As of 31 December 2020, 37 REPCET units are deployed on board commercial vessels, as well as 3 fixed units deployed at CROSS MED, CROSS AG (Antilles-Guyane) and MIRACETI. 

The system allows the crews of equipped vessels to report their cetacean (or floating object) sightings in real time to the entire network of commercial vessels equipped with it. When a cetacean is reported on their route, the crews adapt their navigation to avoid a collision. Each year, reports of cetaceans are issued, mainly from the Mediterranean but also from other seas and oceans. 

Between July 2010 and December 2020, 7,047 reports were transmitted via REPCET®, 6,253 of which were from the Mediterranean. The most frequently reported species in the Mediterranean is the fin whale with 1,699 reports out of a total of 2,417 reports of large cetaceans. As the fin whale is the most sensitive species to collisions, a notable effort is made by the crews of vessels equipped to transmit reports of this species and thus prevent collisions. The sperm whale is also reported with a total of 330 reports in 10 years. 

It is also possible to report the presence of small cetaceans in the system, and 2,912 reports of small cetaceans have been issued in the Mediterranean. These reports were mainly of striped dolphins (1,609 reports) and bottlenose dolphins (510 reports). 

Fin whale and striped dolphin reports are very seasonal, with peaks in the summer months (June, July and August). This is probably due to the fact that more commercial vessels sail during this period in the Mediterranean, particularly in the waters of the Pelagos sanctuary where these two species are present in large numbers in summer. These results are consistent with known scientific data on these species. With a peak in the presence of animals during the summer period, particularly for the fin whale.

The REPCET system allows the real-time sharing of large cetacean positions between different vessels. REPCET is a collaborative network, so when an officer sees a cetacean, they can transmit the position of the cetacean to the network of equipped vessels through REPCET. This sharing of positions allows vessels to take appropriate measures to limit collision situations. All the data collected through REPCET is stored and each year we carry out a review of all the reports from the previous year.

In 2021, 37 vessels were equipped with the system and were able to send  alerts via REPCET, there is an increase in the number of sightings compared to 2020. On these reports 964 were sent from the Mediterranean sea and 104 from other oceans, mainly the North Atlantic Ocean, but also the Pacific Ocean and the Bengal Sea. In the Mediterranean, 49% of the reports are small cetaceans and 45% are large cetaceans, the remaining 6% are floating objects or deceased cetaceans. The striped dolphin is the most reported species in the Mediterranean, followed closely by the fin whale. 

Amongst the large cetaceans (fin whales and sperm whales) reported via REPCET in 2021, fin whales are the most sighted large cetacea, with almost 70% of the sightings in the Mediterranean, i.e. 318 reports for a total of 437 individuals. As large cetaceans are the species most threatened by shipstrikes, a special effort is being made to report them via the system. 

The REPCET network continues to grow and the reports made through it enable scientists to refine their knowledge of these species. Congratulations on the involvement of the crew members who use the REPCET system.

The REPCET® system allows the real-time sharing of large cetacean positions between different vessels. REPCET® is a collaborative network, so when an officer sees a cetacean, they can transmit the position of the cetacean to the network of equipped vessels through REPCET®. This sharing of positions allows vessels to take appropriate measures to limit collision situations. All the data collected through REPCET® is stored and each year we carry out a review of all the reports from the previous year.

In 2020, 42 vessels were equipped with the system and were able to send 907 alerts via REPCET®, but there is a slight decrease in the number of sightings compared to 2019. On these reports 776 were sent from the Mediterranean sea and 131 from other oceans, mainly the North Atlantic Ocean, but also the Red Sea and the Bengal Sea. In the Mediterranean, 54% of the reports are small cetaceans and 34% are large cetaceans, the remaining 12% are floating objects or deceased cetaceans. The striped dolphin is the most reported species in the Mediterranean, followed closely by the fin whale. 

Amongst the large cetaceans (fin whales and sperm whales) reported via REPCET® in 2020, fin whales are the most sighted large cetacea, with almost 70% of the sightings in the Mediterraneanthe, i.e. 184 reports for a total of 243 individuals. As large cetaceans are the species most threatened by collisions, a special effort is being made to report them via the system. 

The REPCET® network continues to grow and the reports made through it enable scientists to refine their knowledge of these species.

Congratulations on the involvement of the crew members who use the REPCET® system.

On April 8, a new vessel was equipped with REPCET®. This ship is the MONACO ONE: a 12-metre catamaran chartered by SMIP (Société Monégasque Internationale Portuaire). It joins the network of equipped vessels and will be able to contribute to sharing in real time the position of cetaceans that may be encountered during the navigations.

Also in April, two REPCET® training sessions took place on board of REPCET®-equipped vessels. Louis, collision programme manager at MIRACETI, went on board of the MONACO ONE (newly equipped) and the A NEPITA (equipped since August 2020). This training, which takes place on board of the ship, is in three parts :

• Presentation of the topic of collisions between commercial vessels and cetaceans and the origin of REPCET®

• Use of REPCET®: how the software works, how to report the presence of a cetacean

• Recognition of cetacean species: presentation of the different species that inhabit the north-western Mediterranean and the differentiation criteria to be able to identify them at sea.

This type of training is offered free of charge to the personnel of vessels equipped with REPCET® software.

In 2019,  1051 observations were reported on the REPCET® software in the Mediterranean sea and other seas or oceans. Large cetaceans such as fin whales and sperm whales are increasingly reported on the REPCET® interface. In 2014, they represented 25% of cetaceans recorded in the software and in 2019 they represented around 50% of all large marine mammals entered into REPCET®. These encouraging results show the willingness and the growing involvement of the ship crews in spotting these animals. 

In the Mediterranean sea, the fin whale  is the most spotted large marine mammals with 281 sightings in 2019. The fin whale is the most spotted in the Mediterranean sea in 2019 with 281 observations. Outside the Mediterranean, the number of sightings has increased every year since 2017.Yet it’s impossible to draw conclusions on the abundance of the species concerned because of the very large areas covered. However, this demonstrates the users willingness to share information, including in sectors where the REPCET® network is less developed.

The numerous observations of marine mammals recorded on REPCET® and the information transmitted in near real time help to prevent ship strikes. Indeed, the crew members increase their vigilance when a cetacean is reported nearby.

The information entered in the REPCET® software also makes  possible to enlarge and consolidate the database used for the scientific research  because the scientists can have an access to the information  throughout the year. The involvement and vigilance of all crews members in reporting cetacean positions with the software has to be emphasized and encouraged.

Special  thanks to all the crew members for their efforts in using the REPCET® software in 2019.

New vessels have been equipped with the REPCET® software and training is being provided. At the beginning of August, we boarded the MN Colibri of the Compagnie Maritime Nantaise for a two hours training courses taught in English. First, the six officers who attended the training learned to use the REPCET® system and then learned to recognize Mediterranean cetaceans.

On the Capo Nero of Maritima’s shipping compagnie, the Commander and his Second had respectively attended a training course at the ENSM in 2013 and had already used REPCET® on another equipped ship. A review rather than a training was given to them and the latest software innovations and data on individuals present in the Mediterranean were taught.

Recently, five officers from the Girolata of the La Méridionale Company attended the training. La Méridionale was one of the first companies to equip itself with REPCET® software long before the law made it mandatory.

The REPCET® fleet now includes 39 vessels and 5 organizations equipped with the land-based system.

Since July 1st 2017, Article 106 of the Law for the Reconquest of Biodiversity, Nature and Landscapes requires certain vessels flying the French flag to be equipped with a system for identifying and sharing cetacean positions. The REPCET® system meets the requirements of the law and aims to limit the risk of collision, preserve cetacean populations and ensure passenger safety.

In summer, the Mediterranean hosts 8 species of cetaceans thanks to a sea rich in krill, cephalopods and other small fish on which these marine mammals feed. However, it is also during this period that maritime traffic increases, particularly between Corsica and the Continent. Each year in the Western North Mediterranean, it is estimated that 16 to 20% of the whales found dead have been killed as a result of a collision, and many live individuals show signs of these accidents.

“Far from being anecdotal, collisions with boats are considered to be the main cause of unnatural mortality of fin whales and sperm whales in the Mediterranean. “Denis Ody, Co-Head of the Oceans and Coasts Program at WWF France.

The success of the REPCET® system is based on the density of the maritime mesh size and the number of vessels equipped: the more reports issued and received, the better it is possible to avoid the route of a large cetacean. Today, 39 vessels have REPCET®, including ferries crossing Corsica-Continent, 2 monitoring centres (CROSSMED and CROSS Antilles Guyana) and 3 institutions such as the Port-Cros National Park.

The great REPCET Network sent 1825 observations. These observations are shared in real time with all the equipped ships and allow to anticipate an encounter with an animal. The raw data are being analyzed and the 2018 report will soon be available. Last year, 911 observations were made.