Cetacean conservation: the hidden crisis of propeller injuries and sonar interference

A proposal submitted by the China Green Development Council (CGDC) on “Open Propeller Deaths of Endangered Species” to be discussed at the World Conservation Congress (WCC) in 2025 calls for mandatory installation of acoustic warning systems in Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs). Studies have shown that physical injuries caused by ship propellers account for 19% of cetacean unnatural deaths, while acoustic interference disrupts cetaceans’ ability to navigate and increases the risk of stranding. Anomalous migrations of North Atlantic right whales found in the Bahamas have been attributed to sonar activity causing them to deviate from their traditional feeding routes.