""It's a really big and positive step forward in maximizing whale protection in California," said Jessica Morten, director of marine resource protection at the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, who has worked on the program for the last 10 years."
""A less speedy boat is also a cleaner-burning boat - a parallel goal of the program is to get ships to produce less pollution.""
""In some areas of California, marine shipping is the biggest source of nitrogen oxides, such as in Santa Barbara County (73%) and Ventura County (54%).""
""While some shipping lines have expressed concern about being able to achieve high compliance, more lines have signed up for the program this year - 52, compared to 22 last year.""
The Blue Whales Blue Skies program in California encourages shipping companies to reduce speeds along the coast to protect whales and cut marine pollution. The program's statewide expansion follows the signing of AB 14, aimed at maximizing whale protection. A slower boat also produces less pollution, addressing nitrogen oxides that contribute to smog. Industry response has been mixed, with some shipping lines concerned about compliance, yet participation has increased significantly from 20% in 2015 to 70% last year.
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