大象传媒

Conservationists say up 20,000 whales are killed every year, after a collision with large vessels like container ships or oil tankers and they are pressing the shipping industry to prevent accidents involving these mammals.

Russell Padmore investigates what the world's sea freight operators can do to protect whales. Paolo Bray of The World Sustainability Organization says that half the whale populations are endangered, and those killed are travelling to specific areas to feed or reproduce, and collide with the ships who are travelling at far greater speeds.

He suggests that shipping lane routes could be adjusted to avoid the whale routes - by moving 15 miles south in Sri Lankan waters, he says researchers have calculated that the risk of whale strikes could be reduced by 94 per cent. The next best option being to slow down, which would give the whales more time to respond.

(Picture: A whale close to the Baja California Sur coast. Credit Nick Ut/Getty Images.) .