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Reducing ship speed and noise levels would increase the probability that endangered West Coast southern resident killer whales will spend more time hunting for Chinook salmon, a new Simon Fraser University study has found.

The inland waters around southern Vancouver Island and northern Washington State, known as the Salish Sea, host critical habitat for endangered southern resident killer whales (SRKW). This is, however, a highly traversed area, with approaches to industrial ports and coastal cities, international shipping lanes, ferry routes, and considerable recreational vessel traffic. Vessel noise is a key threat to SRKW prosperity, and so conservation measures directed to mitigate its effects have been explored annually since 2017. Here, we describe trials undertaken in 2020, which included spatially limited slowdown zones, exclusion areas as Interim whale Sanctuary Zones (ISZs), and a lateral displacement of tug transits to increase the distance between their route and SRKW foraging areas. To assess each of the measures we first considered the level of mariner participation using data from the Automated Identification Systems (AIS), mandatory for commercial vessels. Knowing this, the changes in soundscape were examined, focused on impacts on broadband (10 Hz to 100 kHz) ambient noise and the frequencies used by SRKW for communication (500 Hz to 15 kHz) and echolocation (15 to 100 kHz). A control period of two-months prior to trial initiation was used to quantify the changes. High levels (> 80%) of compliance were found for each measure, except ISZs, where observance was low. Median reduction in speeds ranged from 0.2-3.5 knots. Resulting sound reductions were most notable in the lower frequencies, although reductions were also recorded in SRKW pertinent ranges. Tug displacement also reduced ambient noise in these frequencies, despite making up a small portion of the overall traffic. The management trials were effective in reducing potential impacts singularly and in concert. Greater awareness and stakeholder engagement may increase compliance and, therefore, the efficacy of measures in the future.

What will Europe's first seagoing ferry powered by hydrogen fuel cells look like? The EU-funded HySeas III project has released the first images as testing progresses on the ship's key components.

Joint Statement by IMO and ILO highlights need for prompt access for medical assistance for vital key worker seafarers.

Oceans are indispensable to our survival. Covering nearly 70 per cent of the planet, oceans feed us, provide us with jobs, and serve as the engine for much of the economy. But their vastness provides an opportunity for transnational organized crime to operate. As noted by Ghada WALY, "All countries, coastal and landlocked, rely on the security of the world's oceans." Ensuring maritime security is key to advancing sustainable development. Ahead of World Maritime Day on 28 September - and nearly two years after the opening of the first Port Control Unit (PCU) in Namibia, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) - UNODC met one of the people on the frontlines of maritime law enforcement in Namibia, Officer Fransiskus NEGUMBO. Fransiskus is a Detective Warrant Officer with the Commercial Crime Unit, currently seconded to the Container Control Program in Walvis Bay, Namibia.