Maritime Industry Successfully Protects Whales Through Voluntary Partnerships
By Jacqueline M. Moore, Vice President, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association
The 2025 California Voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) program officially concluded on January 15, 2026. Each year, the program has witnessed both increased participation and cooperation rates from shipping lines, and while the 2025 results are expected to be published later this spring, the annual results will once again confirm that these voluntary programs are effective.
Since the VSR program’s inception in 2014, over 1.5 million nautical miles have been traveled at 10 knots or less, resulting in the risk reduction of fatal ship strikes to endangered whales at over 50%, over 200,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided, and a reduction of nearly 6,000 tons of NOx, among other critical environmental and marine mammal benefits.
All of that is achieved through a collaborative partnership without the use of monetary incentives. Most impressively, some of these programs off the California coast in many instances achieve compliance rates which are better than those achieved in the mandatory National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Right Whale VSR Regulation in place in the North Atlantic.
As we enter 2026, we will be building on these successes, by focusing on more collaboration between vessel carriers and regulators. Assembly Bill 14 (Hart, 2025), which PMSA was proud to formally support, was adopted last year by the California State Legislature. Under this bill, rather than the current piecemealed structure of the VSR zones off the coast overseen by multiple local air quality districts, the voluntary California VSR program will be one unified boundary overseen by one state agency, the Ocean Protection Council (OPC). Most critically, the maritime industry, along with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, will be consulted in constructing the statewide program and implementation.
Based on the existing Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program, the law allows for the development of seasonality factors and, crucial for vessel operators, the slow steaming zones, which must consider navigational safety and shipping lanes. The speed itself is also not stipulated in law, providing flexibility for the critical opportunity to assess the latest science and the optimum target speed for the newest, cleanest vessels that balance air quality, climate change, vessel operations, and marine mammal protection.
The transition to a statewide voluntary VSR program represents a critical opportunity to build on what has already proven successful. PMSA looks forward to engaging with the OPC, local air districts, NOAA, and fellow stakeholders in constructing the first voluntary statewide VSR program and strengthening our collaborative relationship. Through continued partnership and strategic voluntary initiatives, California can demonstrate global leadership in balancing environmental stewardship with maintaining efficient maritime commerce.