Early warning system in the works to protect blue whales from ships: DFO

A system that could help keep blue whales safe from collisions with ships has been unveiled in the U.S. and Canadian researchers say they're working on a similar program to protect mammals up north.

The U.S. system, called WhaleWatch, combines data from tagged whales with current ocean conditions to predict where the mammals are heading next.

Experts use that information to create maps of so-called whale "hotspots" from California to Washington state. The charts are used to warn vessels of mammals in their path.

John Ford, a whale research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said the department is working on a similar early warning system to keep whales safe in B.C. waters.

Through three years of aerial surveys off the coast of Vancouver Island, the department has examined whale distribution with shipping traffic through the area as a sort of risk assessment.

Now, researchers are also using satellite tags to get a closer look at the whales' habitats to better predict where they might go next.

"We're basically doing the same kind of thing [as the States], but they've got a bit of a head start," Ford said. "We've got a much better idea now of the overlap of shipping traffic."

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Blue whales pass Vancouver Island during the spring and fall months when they migrate from California to Alaska. It's rare to spot one of the giant mammals, but Ford said 2015 was a "good year" with 10 sightings.

Fin and humpback whales are far more common, he said.

Collisions with ships have been a primary threat to the mammals since commercial whaling ended in the 1960s.

Ford said so-called "ship strikes" are relatively rare in B.C., but shipping lanes do intersect with whales' migration routes.

The Juan de Fuca strait, one of the busiest corridors off the West Coast, is particularly risky because of the high density of whales and ships passing through.

Ford said the Canadian early warning system would be used to protect all whales in B.C. waters fins, humpbacks, blues and killer whales.

"These animals are vulnerable ... as whale populations are increasing and numbers of ships are increasing, [ship strikes] are more and more common," he said. "It's important that we work on this."