Members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) have unanimously voted in mandatory measures to prevent whale strikes in cetacean-rich Antarctic waters.

The new measures will instruct member operators to commit to either a 10kn speed restriction within a specific geo-fenced time-area on the Antarctic Peninsula.

The compulsory measures will formally take effect on July 1 in readiness for the 2019/20 Antarctic travel season, which begins in October.

Since the commercial whaling ban in 1982, nearly all humpback whale populations in the southern hemisphere are recovering, some at rates near their biological maximum.

But with these increasingly whale-rich waters comes an increased risk of whale strikes in areas of high aggregation such as those used for feeding, breeding, raising offspring, socialising and migrating, which are essential for survival.

During the 2018/19 Antarctic travel season, Happywhale, an initiative which tracks individual whales throughout the world's oceans, has recorded over 900 humpback whale sightings in Antarctica, compared to 700 during the same period last year.

Useful links

​ www.iaato.com