Blue Whales and Blue Skies Legislation Announced
By Maclaine Fiori
Assemblymember Gregg Hart, along with fellow representatives and environmental experts, held a press conference on Friday, February 23, 2024 at Santa Barbara City College announcing the reintroduction of bill AB2298. The proposed law is known as the California Blue Whales and Blue Skies Act. The bill is written with the purpose of reducing air pollution and deadly ship strikes on whales. With the goal of having large vessels slow their speed down to 10 knots along the coast and 50 miles out past the Santa Barbara Channel Islands.
Hart spoke to the importance of protecting marine life by working with shipping companies, public health agencies, marine sanctuaries, and environmental organizations. “The Santa Barbara Voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction program is a prime example of what happens when we focus on public health, protect marine ecosystems, and showcase collaborative partnerships,” Hart said. “The Santa Barbara Channel is now a globally recognized Whale Heritage Area. The entire world is watching what we do to save whales.”
In October of last year, The World Cetacean Alliance and World Animal Protection announced the designation of the ninth Whale Heritage Area in the world, which is now known as the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area (SBCWHA). This designation highlights the region’s commitment to promoting responsible ecotourism, providing more ocean educational opportunities, supporting on-going research and conservation efforts, and honoring the timeless cultural connection the region has to whales.
Holly Lohuis, co-director of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, was one of the speakers at the conference. She highlighted the ecological importance of whales and called for their conservation on a global scale. “We are living in an exciting time of the comeback of the great whales around the world,” Lohuis stated. “We now recognize that these whales are ecosystem engineers, enhancing ocean productivity.”
Click here to watch the press conference in its entirety. Also, to learn more about whales and their significance in the Santa Barbara Channel, visit SBMM seven days a week to view Whales Are Superheroes!, an exhibition focused on whale diversity, climate connections, and the role whales play in climate change. Further information can be found about the Whale Heritage Area at www.sbwhaleheritage.org.