Middle East conflict reroutes ships, escalating whale collision risk off South Africa
The Middle East conflict has forced shipping to divert around South Africa, significantly increasing the risk of collisions with whales in their critical habitats. A study submitted to the IWC notes a substantial rise in ship traffic and associated collision threats since late 2023, particularly along the busy South African southwest coast.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 15:56
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 16:32 (36 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 11, 2026 at 16:51 (18 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Johannesburg, 10th, comprehensive foreign report) Researchers told Agence France-Presse that due to the Middle East conflict, maritime traffic has been forced to shift to whale habitats, increasing the risk of collisions and further exacerbating the threats faced by whales near South Africa.
Agence France-Presse reported that in a recent study, researchers pointed out that shipping rerouted around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal since late 2023 has "significantly increased" the risk of ship-whale collisions.
According to a report submitted this month to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the southwest coast of South Africa is not only a globally important whale habitat but also an extremely busy shipping lane.
Els Vermeulen, lead researcher of the University of Pretoria's whale research team, stated in the report that this "extensive spatial overlap" significantly increases the probability of collisions.
Since November 2023, after the Houthi movement hijacked the British-owned car carrier Galaxy Leader near Yemen, some global maritime traffic began to divert from the Red Sea route.
Subsequent attacks, coupled with conflicts between the United States and Israel against Iran leading to shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, have prompted shipping companies to reroute more vessels around the Cape of Good Hope.
According to monitoring data from the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) PortWatch, between March 1 and April 24 this year, an average of 89 commercial vessels sailed around the southern tip of Africa daily, compared to only 44 vessels during the same period in 2023. (Compiler: Chen Yu-ting) 1150511
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is the strength to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.
(Central News Agency, Johannesburg, 10th, comprehensive foreign report) Researchers told Agence France-Presse that due to the Middle East conflict, maritime traffic has been forced to shift to whale habitats, increasing the risk of collisions and further exacerbating the threats faced by whales near South Africa.
Agence France-Presse reported that in a recent study, researchers pointed out that shipping rerouted around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal since late 2023 has "significantly increased" the risk of ship-whale collisions.
According to a report submitted this month to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the southwest coast of South Africa is not only a globally important whale habitat but also an extremely busy shipping lane.
Els Vermeulen, lead researcher of the University of Pretoria's whale research team, stated in the report that this "extensive spatial overlap" significantly increases the probability of collisions.
Since November 2023, after the Houthi movement hijacked the British-owned car carrier Galaxy Leader near Yemen, some global maritime traffic began to divert from the Red Sea route.
Subsequent attacks, coupled with conflicts between the United States and Israel against Iran leading to shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, have prompted shipping companies to reroute more vessels around the Cape of Good Hope.
According to monitoring data from the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) PortWatch, between March 1 and April 24 this year, an average of 89 commercial vessels sailed around the southern tip of Africa daily, compared to only 44 vessels during the same period in 2023. (Compiler: Chen Yu-ting) 1150511
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is the strength to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.