Fast ferries continue to exceed advised speeds in Mediterranean whale habitat

What you need to know

• The reported 2025 figures indicate substantial time spent at high speeds: more than 280,000 hours of travel at 15 knots or above, including more than 6,000 hours above 25 knots. These are findings attributed to the Guardian’s analysis; the underlying data have not been independently reproduced in the supplied material. 1
• The Guardian reports that seven vessels, four Baleària fast ferries and three Grimaldi cruise ferries, accounted for 70% of the hours above 25 knots in the area in 2025. This concentrates much of the reported fastest travel among a small number of vessels, but does not by itself establish the cause or consequences of that traffic. 1
• A separate OceanCare and partner-organisations analysis used vessel-distance data for 2023 and 2024. It reported that ferries travelled 90.4% of their distance in the area above 10 knots in 2024. This is an analysis by conservation organisations, not a regulator’s compliance assessment, and its measure differs from the Guardian’s reported hours at speed. 3
• The Guardian reports an 11% reduction in time spent at 15 knots or above in 2025 compared with 2022. A Veson Nautical representative said the recommendation was unlikely to have been a significant cause, pointing to possible factors such as route changes. 1
• Shipping representatives cited commercial and operational concerns about slower journeys, while a Tethys Research Institute representative called for mandatory measures. These are differing views on feasibility and policy, rather than evidence that the reported traffic figures are disputed. 14

Why this matters

Ship strikes are a conservation concern for large cetaceans in the region, and speed reduction is among the measures considered to lower collision risk. Continued high-speed traffic alongside a voluntary recommendation leaves a practical challenge for protecting cetaceans in this habitat. 124

What happens next

The supplied reporting does not identify a confirmed next policy decision. Assessing the measure’s effect would require clearer comparisons of vessel traffic and independent evidence on speeds and whale strikes; the reporting identifies these as unresolved areas rather than established outcomes. 13

What we know

• The IMO designation and speed recommendation date to 2023, and the associated measures are recommendatory. 2
• The Guardian’s reported analysis found an 11% decrease in time at 15 knots or above between 2022 and 2025. 1
• OceanCare’s analysis reported that ferries travelled most of their distance above 10 knots in the area in 2024. 3

What we don't know

• The supplied material does not set out the Guardian analysis’s vessel categories, AIS coverage or full methods, so its figures cannot be directly compared with other analyses here. 13
• It remains unclear how much of the reported decline in high-speed travel reflects route changes, traffic volumes or other factors, rather than the IMO recommendation. 1
• The reporting does not establish whether company mitigation measures have independently reduced vessel speeds or whale strikes. 1
• The number of unrecorded collisions and the evidence available to assess changes in cetacean mortality over time remain unresolved. 1

Read the reporting

This WildNews briefing synthesises and summarises reporting from the sources below. WildNews did not produce the original reporting. Learn more about how we use AI