NYK has been recognized for the company’s participation in the 2023 Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies vessel speed reduction (VSR) incentive program along the West Coast of North America, a collaborative effort sponsored by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation,* among others. For a second consecutive year, NYK achieved the Sapphire tier, the top ranking in the program.
This program encourages voluntary vessel speed reduction in the Santa Barbara Channel and the San Francisco Bay area to protect whales and cut air pollution. For about seven months from May 1 to December 15, 2023, the program’s partners analyzed each participating company’s automatic information system (AIS) data and evaluated the company’s adherence to the request that vessels transit at 10 knots or less through the VSR zones. More than 85% of NYK operating vessels maintained a navigation speed of less than 10 knots.
NYK will continue to work even more earnestly to preserve the marine environment and biodiversity as an integral part of our mission, as a company that operates in the world’s oceans, preventing air pollution and protecting marine life.
* National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
A non-profit organization founded in 2000 that works to protect species and their habitats and conserve marine resources.
Details: National Marine Sanctuary Foundation | Marine Conservation