Mandatory Ship Reporting System for North Atlantic Right Whales
Overview
Collisions with ships are a major source of injury and death of the critically endangered North Altantic right whale. In an effort to reduce the number of ship strikes, NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard have developed and implemented Mandatory Ship Reporting Systems. The systems were endorsed by the International Maritime Organization, a specialized organization of the United Nations.
The systems became operational in July 1999. When ships greater than 300 gross tons enter two key right whale habitats—one off the northeast U.S. and one off the southeast U.S.—they are required to report to a shore-based station. In return, ships receive a message about right whales, their vulnerability to ship strikes, precautionary measures the ship can take to avoid hitting a whale, and locations of recent sightings.
- Characterization of Ship Traffic in Right Whale Critical Habitat [pdf] [588 KB]
- Ship Traffic Patterns in Right Whale Critical Habitat: Year One of the Mandatory Ship Reporting System [pdf] [865 KB]
Silber, G. K., L. I. Ward, Lt. R. Clarke, K. L. Schumacher, A. J. Smith. 2002. NOAA Tech Memo, NMFS-OPR-20. - White House Press Release
- U.S. Coast Pilot Requirements: WhalesNorth and WhalesSouth [pdf] [15 KB]
- MSR Requirements Brochure [pdf] [249 KB]
- Notice to Mariners [pdf] [123 KB]
- Steps to take to avoid collisions [pdf] [25 KB]
- Final Rule (Federal Register) [pdf] [56 KB]
- Geographic Boundaries of:
Northeastern Reporting System
Southeastern Reporting System - Right Whale Sightings off the:
Northeast U.S.
Southeast U.S. - Ship Reporting System Fact Sheet [pdf] [9 KB]
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- IMO Website
- April 2001 Report to the IMO on the Status of the Ship Reporting System
- Proposal to the IMO for the Ship Reporting System
- North Atlantic Right Whale Species Information
- Information Paper on Right Whales [pdf] [16 KB]
- Avoiding Collisions with Right Whales [pdf] [231 KB]
- Aircraft Surveys for the North Atlantic Right Whale [pdf] [12 KB]
- Ship Strike Reduction Northeast Implementation Team
- Information on Other Endangered Whales
- Information on INMARSAT
- U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety and Environmental Protection
- NOAA Public Affairs
- Marine Weather
Sponsorship
The program is a cooperative effort by a number of agencies and organizations. It has been lead by the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. The Marine Mammal Commission and NOAA's National Ocean Service strongly endorsed the program, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare provided technical assistance. Congressional legislation that provided the Coast Guard with the authority to implement the system came from an effort lead by Congressman William Delahunt (D-MA), with endorsements by Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA) and the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation, as well as Congressman Wayne Gilchrist (D-MD). The program also received endorsements from the Chamber of Shipping of America, and the Northeast and Southeast U.S. Teams for the Implementation of the Right Whale Recovery Plan.
