IS THERE A NEED TO SHIFT THE TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEME OFF DONDRA HEAD IN FEAR OF SHIPS STRIKES OF WHALES

1. COMPANY OF MASTERCOMPANY OF MASTER
MARINERS OF SRI LANKAMARINERS OF SRI LANKA
PresentationPresentation
ByBy
Capt Ranjith WeerasingheCapt Ranjith Weerasinghe

2. CMMCMM

3. CMMCMM
IS THERE A NEED TO SHIFT
THE TRAFFIC SEPARATION
SCHEME OFF DONDRA
HEAD IN FEAR OF SHIPS
STRIKES OF WHALES

4. CMMCMM
We must make our position clear on this in the
national perspective wherein there are few
factors to consider in the interest of both the
safety of mammals at sea and the economics of
local Maritime Industry and the International
Shipping Industry.
First we look at it in the practical MaritimeFirst we look at it in the practical Maritime
Industry perspectiveIndustry perspective
Secondly we look at it in the safety of whalesSecondly we look at it in the safety of whales
in our watersin our waters

5. CMMCMM
Traffic Separation Schemes areTraffic Separation Schemes are
established in Territorial Waters to ensureestablished in Territorial Waters to ensure
the marine traffic is controlled in thethe marine traffic is controlled in the
territory of a coastal state for the benefit ofterritory of a coastal state for the benefit of
all parties;all parties;
– the coastal state to ensure safe navigation inthe coastal state to ensure safe navigation in
their territorytheir territory
– innocent passage allowed by the coastal stateinnocent passage allowed by the coastal state
in its territory is not made a hindrance byin its territory is not made a hindrance by
ships navigating within the schemeships navigating within the scheme

6. CMMCMM
When the TSS off Dondra Hd. was established
in 1981, the question of whales or whale
watching was not in the picture; and the TSS
was adopted by IMO on the request of Sri
Lanka; and it had been already shifted once.
The fact that the TSS is in close proximity to the
southern coast of Sri Lanka in between two
major ports of Galle and Hambantota provides
the very fundamental requisite for prospective
maritime business to have ships frequenting the
proximity of service ports. ‘Out of sight’ would
result in ‘out of mind’;

7. CMMCMM
Sri Lanka or particularly her southern coast is a prominent
land-fall for mariners after days of traversing through
tumultuous Bay of Bengal on the east or the rough Arabian
Sea on the west. Similarly, for vessels coming from south
east from Australia or from south west from East Africa, Sri
Lanka is a conspicuous land mark even in this day and age
of electronic charts and satellite navigation.
Currently 1000 ships per month calling Off Port Galle for
services is a direct result of having TSS in our coastal
proximity. If this was shifted further 15nm southward, it
would make the westward passage from Rondo Island
coming out of Malacca St, thro’ bay of Bengal a direct
course to north of Maldives making it the obvious OPL
position for services.

8. CMMCMM
On the other hand shifting of the TSS into
International waters is a meaningless exercise
as no traffic separation schemes are necessary
in International waters and are not so adopted
by IMO.
Even if the TSS is shifted away from the
territorial waters, navigation rules do not stop
ships from following their courses through the
inshore area of the TSS closer to the land which
could result in returning to the status before
introducing the TSS in 80’s . A chaotic coastal
Marine traffic off Dondra and Galle

9. A vessel entered Colombo harbour with aA vessel entered Colombo harbour with a
dead whale on the bulbous bowdead whale on the bulbous bow
Photo by Capt Sopaka KarunasunderaPhoto by Capt Sopaka Karunasundera
Harbour PilotHarbour Pilot
CMM MemberCMM Member

10. CMMCMM
No proven statistics at all to suggest the
whale deaths are due to ‘ship strikes’ in
Traffic Separation Scheme off Dondra
Head.
One photograph of a ship entering
Colombo harbor with a dead whale carried
on her bulbous bow internationalized a
wrong message.
Nobody can say it’s the same ship strike
on the whale or a floating carcass was
scooped up by the pitching bow.

11. CMMCMM
None of our 275 members, the vast
majority of Master Mariners of Sri Lanka
whose sea experience ranging from 12-
40 years of sailing has had no ship strike
on a whale ever.
We do not know if a whale would just lay
idle when the sounds of an approaching
ship can be felt by them miles away and
the ship traffic is miles apart unlike busy
Galle road, thus no near misses either.

12. CMMCMM
Number of dead whales washed ashore
from time to time did not conclude the
cause was ‘ship strike”; the prime example
being the recent washing ashore of 50 or so
mammals in Tuticorin; is that anything to
do with marine traffic? .
If ‘ships strike’ is the issue, shifting the TSS
to 15 Nm off land does not guaranty any
safer place as we do not know the
probability of movement of whales around
the new shipping lane.

13. There are few other issues that must be paid
particular attention of all of us interested in the
well-being of marine life;
– Damaging coral reef of our coastal waters which
takes hundreds of years to grow; comparatively
whales will not take that long to get pregnant.
– Whale watching practices to see that the mammals
are not disturbed as it has started off with no
regulatory regime as the norm of the country.
– Killing of whales as “whaling” is done by many
countries even after International whaling
Commission’s stipulations. They kill more whales than
those die of natural causes or accidentally get killed.
CMMCMM

14. CMMCMM
Requesting IMO to shift the TSS further 15
miles south is denying innocent passage
within our territory to international marine
traffic as agreed in the Law of the sea
convention wherein Freedom of the High
seas and Innocent passage in territorial
waters are guaranteed whilst the shortest
possible international shipping route is
safely established which ironically has
helped our maritime industry locally.

15. The Company of Master Mariners of Sri LankaThe Company of Master Mariners of Sri Lanka
We do not see any positive outcome in
shifting of the TSS from the current
position either in the safety of Mammals or
Safety of Navigation, not to mention the
negative economic outcome in the local
Maritime industry and International
shipping Industry.

16. CMMCMM
Possible Alternatives;Possible Alternatives;
– Insert a Cautionary Note on the Chart andInsert a Cautionary Note on the Chart and
promulgate a navigation warningpromulgate a navigation warning
““Whale Area Reduce speed”Whale Area Reduce speed”
Post Look out & Avoid whalesPost Look out & Avoid whales
Report whale sighting to Shore AuthorityReport whale sighting to Shore Authority
– Shore Station Broadcasting of daily ‘whaleShore Station Broadcasting of daily ‘whale
warning” to avoid whale accidentswarning” to avoid whale accidents

17. CMMCMM
Thank YouThank You
Capt Ranjith WeerasingheCapt Ranjith Weerasinghe