Page 79 - Livre_MOW2024_EN

- NETCCOBAMS technology -
© Maylis Salvias - Alessio Maglio

Dashboard & GIS*

A QUESTION OF SPEED
Simone Panigada, Chair of the ACCOBAMS Scientific Risk assessment
Committee and President of the Tethys Research and real-time
Institute, presented data showing the upward trend alert
of ship speeds and the dramatic increase in the
number of collisions. The Mediterranean is crossed
by 200,000 merchant ships and 1 million cruise ships
each year, representing 30% of global maritime traffic. Human activities
“The crucial factor is speed,” commented Panigada, monitoring
who believes that despite the problem worsening,
a significant number of stakeholders are getting on
board. *Geographic Information System

INNOVATIVE RESEARCH USING DIGITAL TOOLS

Anthony Sladen, a CNRS researcher at GEOAZUR, The presentation about NETCCOBAMS, a digital tool developed by ACCOBAMS,
whose pioneering work includes using seafloor focused on data provided by the Joint Noise Working Group (JNWG), a European
telecom cables as sound sensors, presented the underwater noise advisory group. “We have developed a new piece of software that
results of a trial carried out in 2021 as well as plans can be used by protected areas like Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA), enabling
for a cable in the Ligurian Sea, which would open up them to see the speed of boats in real time,” explained Alessio Maglio, Project and
the potential to acoustically monitor cetaceans and Business Manager at SINAY and consultant for ACCOBAMS. Boats exceeding
ships over hundreds of kilometers. the recommended speed limit show in red, while those travelling below the limit
Aurore Morin, Campaign Officer at the International are green. “Slowing down reduces three factors that are harmful to cetaceans: the
Fund for Animal Welfare, presented a solution by risk of pollution, underwater noise and carbon emissions.” ACCOBAMS is working
Blue Speeds that could result in a 5 to 10% reduction alongside various NGOs to coordinate this policy-making process.
in ship speeds. She also recommended “better
organisation of shipping traffic to deal with increased
navigation times,” which would make it possible to
reduce port waiting times. “We are working with
shipping companies and the European community,”
Morin added. The revision of the EU Marine Strategy
Framework Directive could include a requirement
obliging countries to reduce port waiting times, which
would enable member states to force ports and
shipping companies to adapt.
Finally, Nicolas Entrup, Director of International
Relations at OceanCare, reported on progress made
in the private sector, in particular rerouting ships and
reducing their speed. “There are still areas where it
is not possible to reroute boats, plus the habitat of
cetacean populations is not fixed. To reduce the risk
of collisions, speed recommendations are needed.
Imposing speed limits across Europe for a start will
reinvent the concept of commercial competition. If no
one can go faster…”