The full program has now been unveiled for the International Ship/Whale Collisions Workshop, taking place on June 16, 2025, as part of the OCEANS 2025 conference in Brest, France. This full-day workshop will unite over 30 global experts in science, conservation, maritime transport, and innovation to address one of the most urgent and growing challenges in ocean conservation: reducing ship strikes on cetaceans.
Hosted at Le Quartz Conference Centre, the event is organised by GREENOV, the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society, and the Marine Technology Society, with support from the European projects LIFE SeaDetect and Horizon Europe SafeNav.
Ship strikes are a significant threat to many whale species, particularly in busy marine transport corridors. The workshop aims to:
- Showcase the latest research and monitoring techniques to understand collision risks;
- Present cutting-edge technologies for whale detection and vessel alert systems;
- Explore policy responses and collaborative actions for risk reduction;
- Facilitate cross-sector dialogue between scientists, NGOs, industry leaders, and decision-makers.
The event will be structured around four thematic sessions:
- Collisions and Their Consequences – setting the context with case studies and data;
- Understanding the Phenomena – exploring whale movement, vessel activity, and strike dynamics;
- Current and Innovative Cetacean Detection Methods – highlighting technological solutions;
- Other Solutions for Collision Avoidance – including policy tools and citizen science efforts.
Speakers will include prominent voices from institutions such as IFAW, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Transport Canada, Tethys Research Institute, Quiet Oceans, Ocean Wise, and many more.
Collisions between ships and whales are not only tragic but increasingly common, as global maritime traffic intensifies. With many whale populations already vulnerable, finding and implementing scalable, effective solutions is critical. This workshop offers a rare opportunity to synthesise scientific insights, technical innovation, and policy development into real-world action.
The Marine Mammals Management Toolkit contains a range of relevant resources on ship strikes. These include factsheets and good practice guidance on addressing vessel-related threats within marine protected areas—supporting managers to integrate ship strike mitigation into area-based conservation strategies.
