Whale Guardians™ is the international program for the avoidance of ship strikes on whales, focusing on establishing approved traffic separation schemes and speed reductions to help the world’s great whales recover to their pre-whaling populations. Preventing unintentional vessel strikes is critical for the survival of some endangered whale populations, especially the world’s largest animal, the blue whale. Whale Guardians™ has a proven methodology to apply protections in a manner that is safe for whales and translates into minimal impact on vessels.
Our team is thrilled to introduce the Anglo-Eastern Univan Group (“Anglo-Eastern”) as the newest official member of the League of Whale Guardians™. Anglo-Eastern states: “From reduced carbon emissions to higher attention on crew welfare, there are heartening developments re-shaping the industry for which we intend to be stewards of change.” At Whale Guardians™ we are elated to be a part of the substantial list of progressive measures that Anglo-Eastern is engaging in to lead the reshaping of the industry towards becoming more sustainable.
Anglo-Eastern officially signed on to the league of Whale Guardians™ at the end of September 2024. The company manages a fleet of over 700 vessels under technical management and an additional 500 under crew management; in 2023, ships under Anglo-Eastern’s management moved a deadweight tonnage of 52M (2.3% of the world’s total). This fleet will now be required to comply with established Whale Guardians™ routes, which will enable the company to forge ahead in its commitment to saving whale lives. Having an outstanding 5/5 DOC safety score on the majority of their ships, reduced carbon emissions, and a strong focus on crew welfare, Anglo-Eastern exemplifies what a modern ship management company should look like despite being one of the longer-term players, having been in operation for over 50 years.
The benefit that Anglo-Eastern’s commitment provides to the viability and well-being of some whale species will be substantial. Blue whale females, for example, give birth about once every six years. However, for every calf born, one blue whale is lost to a vessel strike. Consequently, their overall numbers are stagnating due to ship strikes. We are confident that as our league grows, this critical population can gradually rebound.
Anglo-Eastern is taking a noble stand to protect the world's whale populations, placing themselves at the forefront of global whale conservation. We hope that others will follow suit and join us in saving hundreds of whale lives.
Comments