The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has re-routed in order to avoid hitting endangered blue whales off the coast of Sri Lanka.
In the middle of 2022, the shipping company volunteered to change routes for its vessels passing by Sri Lanka, switching to a new course that is approximately 15 nautical miles to the south of the current routes taken by shippers.
Sri Lanka is one of the busiest areas for global shipping, and it also is home to a large population of whales and other sea life that is in danger of collisions with ships.
According to simulations, adjusting the routes 15 nautical miles south could reduce the strike risk to the blue whales by as much as 95%.
Stefania Lallai, the Vice President Sustainability at MSC, said the company is proud of its work to protect marine life, and hopes that other shipping companies will also re-route.
“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 ranking,” Lallai said.
