SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Federal maritime officials have approved a
plan to protect whales in and around San Francisco Bay after
seeing an uptick in the number of collisions between the marine
mammals and large ships. There have been many victims of such
accidents in recent years as the number of blue, fin and
humpback whales surged along the California coast, lured by
plentiful krill, the shrimp-like organisms they eat. All three
species are endangered. The new plan will reroute shipping
traffic at one of the world's busiest ports, and establish
better ways to track whale locations. The changes crafted by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shipping
industry representatives, whale researchers and the Coast Guard
will likely take effect next year, after a review by the United
Nations International Maritime Organization.