MSC changes sailing route to avoid whales

Shipping company MSC is to change its sailing routes along the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The area is regularly home to the blue whale, a critically endangered species of whale. The Shipping Company confirms that it will voluntarily sail 15 nautical miles further south of the Asian country to reduce the chance of a collision with the species by 95%. For years, animal rights activists have been calling for shipping to avoid this area. Besides being popular for blue whales, this area is also very popular for shipping and is a very busy shipping route. According to animal protectionists, more than 12 whales have died in the past 10 years after colliding with ships. Smaller vessels in this area will also be asked by the shipping company to slow down, something that will also reduce the chances of collisions. Apart from the blue whales, the fishery in Sri Lanka also benefits from this adjustment in the shipping route. The area around which MSC sails also contains a lot of fish, so in the past, fishing vessels have occasionally collided with the container ships. This chance will now also decrease significantly.