SBC Blue Whale Law Goes Statewide
What appears to be a huge gain for environmental and coastal organizations statewide is the signing into law of CA AB14, “California Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program” (BWBS), by Governor Gavin Newsom this past week. The bill asks ocean vessels traveling along the California coast drop to lower their speeds to protect California’s ocean animals, especially our blue whales, humpbacks and seals. This law, however, is not a mandate but a voluntary incentivized request.
The writers of AB14 – Assemblymembers Gregg Hart, Steve Bennett, and Damon Connolly – claim that reduced speeds will reduce these incidents by 50% and as a byproduct also reduce vessel pollution, smog forming nitrogen oxide emissions, and underwater sounds [think engines and radar] that are known to disrupt ocean animals and wildlife, even to the extent of throwing many ocean mammals off-course. And they have statistics from 2014 to prove it.
Blue Whale migration along the California coast is primarily a search for feeding grounds, not to give birth. The coastal zones subject to the AB14 are northern and southern California water zones and the newly added 2024 Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary zone. The Chumash zone is America’s 17th national marine sanctuary, the sixth off the U.S. West Coast, and is one of the largest in the National Marine Sanctuary System – 4,543 square miles of central California coastal and ocean waters.
Incentives for shipping companies to adhere to and support the new laws include publicity, and annual tiered awards which entitle them to add the BWBS seal of approval to their business. Press statements from Hart’s office say there are, “…44 shipping companies that support the bill, and the list is growing.” To be clear, the BWBS legislation has been in effect since 2014 in parts of California, and now is statewide.
In 2023, known awardees in northern California with top tier awards were: Orient Overseas Container Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Swire Shipping, Yang Ming, COSCO Shipping, NYK Ro_Ro, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, and CSL Group. A caveat is that CA AB14 requires a report to the CA Legislature on its implementation by December 31, 2029.
The sad, long history of ocean animal “strikes” by cargo ships and other vessels – in what became known as the “highway lane” offshore – may now hopefully be just that; “history.” One can recall in the early 2000s when the late Fred Benko’s Condor Express whale watching vessel – that is still run his widow Hiroko Benko – would pause before crossing the ocean shipping lanes in the SB Channel to make certain it could make it across without any collisions. Commentary on social media in response to the AB14 BWBS includes law makers suggesting the need to ban cruise ships as well in the Santa Barbara Channel.
In 2023, the World Cetacean Alliance designated the creation of the Santa Barbara Channel a Whale Heritage Area, which is the ninth such designation worldwide that celebrates the protection of marine mammals in local waters. The area is co-managed by marine biologist Holly Lohuis, a collaborator with Jean-Michel Cousteau since 1999.
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