North Atlantic Right whales, named ‘right’ because because whaling crews found them to be the right whale to kill. They moved slowly and stayed close to the surface of the water.
The North Atlantic right whales are getting a break from some hit and run traffic at sea. Last year Canada proposed that the Roseway Bay be designated an ‘Area to Be Avoided”. June 1 through December, ships 300 tons and larger are voluntarily avoiding their regular routes in order to avoid hitting the right whales.
One container ship captain told CNN the ‘Area to Be Avoided’ only has a negligible impact on fuel consumption. It’s estimated the diversion will add less than 10 minutes to a 16-hour voyage.
The idea is voluntary, but it seems like in the first month of the new program many of the ships are bypassing the right whales paths. 52 ships avoided the area, but another 35 still passed through the new ’safe zone’. Maybe this is a good idea that will catch on.
In 2003 the the Bay of Fundy became an ATBA, area to be avoided and it reduced the risk by about 90%.
No one likes to be run over while dinning, or for that matter procreating. Both are important things for the right whale to be doing as it is estimated there are only about 350 North Atlantic right whales left in the whole world.
This is a very good idea.
Fishing rope entanglement is one more reason the North Atlantic right whales are dwindling. In 2005 an estimated 72% of them experienced a run in with fishing net, lines and ropes. This evidenced by the lasting scars. The whales can have the lines embed in them causing infections and death.
The North Atlantic right whale was hunted by New England Whalers as early as the 1600’s. Large amounts of oil from their blubber was used for fuel and they made whips and combs from their jaws. Once killed their carcasses float.
It’s been more than 100 years since they were hunted off the coasts of New England. They never made a comeback.
Photo Thanks: #1 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. #2Wildlife Trust/NOAA fisheries
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The U.S. Coast Guard reports 3 tug boats are holding up the barge that was being towed by the Mel Oliver. The river is coated with oil for 100 miles from the center of New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico.
There is confirmation that the tugboat was being operated without a properly licensed pilot at the time of the accident.
Photo thanks: Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Lippert
Early reports say the Coast Guard is investigating a report that crew on the tugboat Mel Oliver was unlicensed.
Safety at Sea international is reporting DRD towing tug the Mel Oliver representatives have told the Coast Guard that one crewman aboard had an apprentice mate’s license and that none of the others aboard were licensed at all.
I’ve found some information on tugboat crews.
A typical crew may consist of Deckhands, the number of which depends on the horsepower of the boat and the size of the tow. Deckhand is an entry level position. More experienced deckhands may pickup a tankerman certification.
Engineer. Each boat has a single, assigned engineer who is always certificated as a tnakerman. Engineer is an unlicensed position.
Tankerman. By regulation, the loading and offloading of a tankbarge with a flammable, liquid cargo must be supervised by an individual certificated by the Coast Guard as a tankerman. Some tankermen are contract employees (not a member of the crew) to load and offload a barge.
Pilot. Each boat has one pilot which IS a licensed position. The Pilot shares navigation responsibilities with the Master.
Master. Each boat has one master which IS a licensed position. The Master shares navigation responsibilities with the Pilot and has overall managerial responsibility for the boat.
On the Mississippi River there is the navigable portion of the Upper Mississippi (UMR) the Lower Mississippi (LMR) and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GICW) which is approximately New Orleans to Galveston.
The maximum size of a tow is determined by the dimensions of lock chambers it must pass through. Locks limit tows, typically, to 6 barges on the Upper Mississippi.
There are no locks on the Lower Mississippi. Tows on the Lower Mississippi could be as many as 40 barges lashed together.
The GICW, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway between New Orleans and Galveston is constricted in many locations and the typical tow does not exceed 3 barges.
Russia’s missile cruiser ‘Marshal Ustinov’ is on its way to joining up with the “Severomorsk” which is already in the Svalbard archipelago near Norway.
A Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo says, “We have been talking for a long time about widening our activity in the Arctic.” “There is nothing aggressive in it- it is in the interests of security.”
Protecting Russian fisherman who have been blocked from the seas around the island of Spitsbergen is said to be the aim of the patrols. Norway claims exclusive fishing rights to that area which has a U.N. designated boundary. Russia however does not recognise that boundary.
The Serveromorsk is one of Russia’s Northern Fleet’s submarine destroyer. Russia has said it plans to increase its combat presence in the area.
The seas around Spitzbergen are rich with fish and are claimed by both Norway and Russia. The ships are said to have been sent on requests for protection from Russian fishermen who have been challenged by the Norwegian navy for illegal fishing.
Svalbard was placed under Norwegian sovereignty by a 1920 treaty that Russia does not recognize. Oslo plans to name the archipelago an ‘economic zone which would further bar Russian fishermen from the area.
Spokesman Dygalo categorized the latest patrols in the area as part of “significant expansion of the activities of the Northern Fleet.”
Recognizing some international law but not others?
Dygalo says the movements of the ships will remain “in strict accordance with international law,”
Russian General Vladimir Chamanov has said the training division immediately set out (training) plans for troops that could be engaged in Arctic combat missions. This, following the response from several nations after the flag planting at the North pole.
Arctic Chess anyone?
Chamanov said in an interview with the Russian military daily news Krasnaya Zvezda, “Wars these days are won and lost well before they are launched.”
The U.S. Coast Guard plans over this summer include: The Icebreaker Healy to make as many as 3 scientific research trips into the Arctic with the National Science Foundation.
The Ice breaker Polar Sea returned to Beaufort Sea having been pulled away from the Antarctic.
The Buoy tender Spar will sail from Kodiak to make an accounting of the ’state of Arctic navigation’ assessing needs for lights, buoys and transit separation schemes along with other navigational aids.
C-130 planes will begin flying missions from Nome and Barrow.
The future is now. Rear Adm. Arthur “Gene” Brooks, commander of Coast Guard District 17, which covers Alaska says, the “new Arctic is now; the effects of polar melting are no longer something that could happen in the distant future.”
Who has been listening indeed.
Brooks also says,”I thought when I first got here (Alaska) that this was an issue for 2020,2030 or 2040.” “My first year in Alaska convinced me the new Arctic is already here, that this is an issue for now. I go around in Alaska and talk to people and say, ‘are you seeing the same things?’ and the response I’m getting is ‘we’ve been seeing these things for years, why haven’t you been listening?’”
Knock knock…who’s there?
The wistful visions of the Arctic being a brilliant white and silent land where exotic creatures roam is a delusion. The largest open-pit mine in the world operates in the polar latitudes. The Red Dog mine sees enormous vehicles truck ore to it’s storage facilities in mile-long warehouses.
Enormous bulk cargo ships, displacing 70,000 tons or more sail through the Chukchi Sea to the the ore. They anchor 11 miles offshore and send in huge ferries to move the ore those 11 miles.
A fleet of at least 18 energy exploration ships set to explore this summer looking for anticipated huge reserves of coal and oil.
Far more pollution has been streaming into the atmosphere in the Arctic for far long than most people realize. There is no possible way that the exhaust from all the ‘ventures’, from diamond mines to ore ferries, have not contributed substantially to the degradation of the atmosphere over the Arctic.
