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May 5, 2008 5:42 pm US/Eastern
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Mass. Sanctuary Studies Whales, Dangers They Face
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
The waters just off our coast are one of the top 10 places in the world to watch whales. It is a $25 million industry and each year, over one million people pay for the privilege.
Whale watchers head to an area off the coast called the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
"The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is often thought of as an underwater national park," said Craig MacDonald, superintendent of The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. "It covers 842 square miles."
That's about the size of Rhode Island, stretching from Provincetown to Cape Ann. And every spring and summer, hundreds of whales come to here to feed.
This makes the sanctuary an ideal lab to study them and the dangers they face.
"Ten percent of all the reported ship strikes of whales in the world occur within the sanctuary area," said MacDonald.
To date, whale watching boats have only fallen under voluntary guidelines. "Recent research that the sanctuary has conducted indicates that the compliance is not good," MacDonald said.
So this new management plan is looking at ways to develop best practices in the whale watch industry that may eventually lead to permitting or certification programs.
"We value this industry for the educational experience that it provides… virtually all of the whales that are watched by the industry are also endangered species, so there is special concern that the boats operate very carefully," said MacDonald.
This new management plan includes recommendations on how to conserve biodiversity and restore seafloor habitats, all with hopes of protecting one of our most valuable marine resources.
If you would like to learn more about the new management plan for the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary,
click here.
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