Introduced to Genoa the protocol of conduct for the safeguard of the sperm whales



This morning to the Aquarius of Genoa Department and Physical Department is introduced the protocol of conduct for the safeguard of the sperm whales drafted from the partner of the project of Whalesafe conservation which co-financed from the European Union through the Life+ program - University of the Studies of Genoa (of Sciences of the Earth, of the Atmosphere and the Life), Costa Edutainment, Marine Direction of Genoa, Harbour office of Savona and Softeco Sismat. The project has the objective to develop to a system of prevention of interferences face to characterize and to follow the sperm whales, to identify the threats and to prevent collisions and other risks emitting messages of warning in real time to the ships in the zone.

The protocol defines four identified warning levels from four different colorations: the Green, absence of sperm whales; the sperm whale or, Thriller presence of more in immersion; Sperm whale or, orange presence of a more in surface without risk of collision with boats; Red, sperm whale or presence of a more with risk than collision in course.

The document defines also three areas in case of presence of sperm whales in surface: Zone Not Transit, characterized in a beam of 100 meters of distance from the sperm whale; Zone Transit, characterized in a beam within the 500 meters of distance from the sperm whale to an allowed speed of six knots; Zone of Alert, within a beam of three miles from the point of recording of the sperm whale in surface, with demand by the ships that are found in zone to proceed with attention and using for the observatories on board in order to monitor the eventual displacements of the sperm whale avoiding so possible disturbances or collisions.

The warning levels are defined by the Harbour office of Savona on the base of the signallings reached from the monitoring buoys, which placed to May to the wide one of the savonese port, and come then transmitted radio exclusively to the present ships in zone, in exited income or from the port.

The protocol, than is based on a voluntary adhesion, does not preview obligation or endorsements, but it has the objective to reduce the risks of disturbance and collision with the sperm whales through an action wider than sensitization than all the interested operators.

Costa Crociere is the first company of navigation to join to the project, with the signature of the protocol happened by Alessandro Bertorello, Maritime responsible Environment di Carnival GmbH. The company applies already a series of good practical in order to ask for eventual collisions and the edge officials regularly are trained (Whale Protection Training Program) in order to face this type of problematic, to carry out the due maneuvers and to allertare local the harbour authorities in case of necessity.

Besides the signature of the protocol, Costa Crociere collaborates to the project already from last year through an important activity of sensitization of the public with activity is on board of own various ships in order to learn playing to recognize the species of cetaceans that live in the Pelagos Sanctuary are near the Palacrociere Terminal of Savona with an exhibition dedicated to this species. These activities are realized thanks to the support of Costa Edutainment, which the activity of sensitization of the wide public of the project is entrusted, that it comprises also animations and deepenings edutainment to topic cetaceans near the Aquarius of Genoa.