Doing right by whales

This editorial ran in the Amherst News: Right whales are notoriously slow swimmers, averaging about six miles per hour at top speed. It takes a lot of effort to move a 50-foot, 70-ton body through water.

An average-sized cruise ship, say at 800 feet in length, propels along at more than 25 m.p.h., weighs more than 55,000 tons.

Should the two head toward a collision, the odds are not good for a right whale to get out of the way or a cruise ship to change course or speed in time.

Ten endangered right whales have died this summer in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, at least two from blunt force trauma. There are only an estimated 500 right whales left, after they were hunted almost to the point of extinction in the past century.

As the death toll mounted this summer, there was a clamour from environmental groups, scientists and concerned Canadians for protective measures. Ottawa responded by bringing in rules for ships in certain areas of the Gulf to reduce speed or change course.

While many cruise lines are following the new rules, others have abruptly cancelled port visits and shifted to other cities. Charlottetown has lost 10 cruise ships and thousands of potential visitors.

The province supports federal efforts to prevent whale deaths, but it also has an economy to run.

But why can’t cruise lines obey a few temporary Canadian shipping rules?