No evidence of ship strike risk to whales

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

A research belt dedicated to study whales will be set up soon in the seas off Mirissa in Southern Sri Lanka, said Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Co-operation (IOMAC) Dr. Hiran Jayawardene.

The lack of scientific evidence to prove the deaths of whales due to ship-strikes is the main issue the authorities face, for not taking a decision on shifting the current shipping lanes. Whether it is necessary or not, depends on scientific evidence," Dr. Jayawardene said..

This decision was taken at the experts' meeting held in Colombo, following the International Expert and Stakeholder Conference on Marine Mammals with special reference to the issue of ship-strikes and the International Traffic Separation Scheme at Dondra Point recently.

A few years ago, a proposal was made by experts in the field to shift the shipping lane off the southern coast, by another 15 nautical miles. Currently the shipping lane is nearly five nautical miles off the Dondra Point.

Director General of Merchant Shipping Ajith Wickrama Seneviratne said this is a situation, where the pros and cons need to be carefully and scientifically evaluated. "Sri Lanka developed its port system at high cost. We are trying to attract more ships to Hambantota which is being developed as a service provider. The same applies to the Galle Port too," said Seneviratne.

Marine Biologist Asha de Vos was of the view that shifting the shipping lane is the best answer benefitting both for the protection of whales and the shipping industry. "This is a very common step taken around the world to bring a solution to this conflict. When Shipping traders consulted they prefer to deviate their route rather slow down in a whale habitat since it is economical," she added. A maritime expert Ravindra Galhena, who attended the conference said that before any drastic decision, proper assessments need to be carried out to evaluate the economic loss due to the proposed shift of the shipping lane off Dondra point.

"TO bring a sustainable solution, the proper coordination and networking of the experts and stakeholders need to continue," he added.