Gov orders vessels on whale shark tours to use propeller guards

The government has implemented a regulation where vessels taking tourists on whale shark tours to the South Ari Marine Protected Area (SAMPA) must use propeller guards.

The SAMPA area, where whale sharks can be viewed throughout the year, is 140 kilometers in size. It spans from northwest of ADh Rangeli reef to the norther corner of ADh Dhigurah, including the area 1km outside of the reefs of the islands inbetween.

There has been multiple injuries to snorkelers, as well as whale sharks in the area, including a recent incident where a tourist passed away though being hit by a speedboat passing over them while they were snorkeling.

A plan published by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment yesterday declared that propeller guards must be affixed within the next three months on vessels going on whale shark tours. Within 12 months of implementation, other vessels also must use propeller guards.

Also in the plan is the requirement that vessels taking people for snorkelling and diving in SAMPA must register at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There is a provision of three months within which all such vessels must register via the OneGov portal.

The highest number of persons in the sea in the area at one time is capped at sixty. The regulation states that these must be persons from the four nearest vessels.

This policy defines 250 meters around whale sharks as the contact zone, stating that no more than three vessels can be in the area at a time. Vessels must limit to speeds of maximum 5 knots per hour in the contact zone. Within a 50 meter boundary of whale sharks, speed must be further dropped to 2 knots per hour. In case of emergencies, speed boats can leave the area in speeds over 5 knots per hour.

Whale sharks were declared an endangered species in the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in July 2016.

Vessels on whale shark tours to require propeller guards

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