The International Maritime Organization has adopted a proposal to protect endangered blue, fin, and humpback whales off the coast of California that goes into effect in the summer of 2023. The proposal expands the area to be avoided by ship traffic to cover an estimated 4,476 square nautical miles of whale feeding habitat, and extends ship traffic lanes in the western part of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, in and around the area, allowing ships to queue up for entry in the western part of the area, where there are fewer concentrations of whales, and in areas away from the continental shelf.
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