Ships must slow down more often to save right whales

 

船隻必須更常減速以拯救露脊鯨

【摘要2023-01-15日.自由】◎林雨萱

Vessels off the East Coast must slow down more often to help save a vanishing species of whale from extinction, the federal government said.

聯邦政府說，東岸附近的船隻必須更常減速以協助拯救一個消失中的鯨魚物種，防止牠們滅絕。

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made the announcement with proposed rules designed to prevent ships from colliding with North Atlantic right whales.

美國國家海洋暨大氣總署宣布此一擬議規則，目的在防止北大西洋露脊鯨與輪船相撞。

Vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are the two biggest threats to the giant animals, which number fewer than 340 and are falling in population.

船隻撞擊和捕魚用具纏繞是這種大型動物面臨的兩大威脅，牠們的數量少於340隻，而且持續下降。

Efforts to save the species have long focused on fishing gear, especially that used in lobster fishing off the East Coast.

拯救物種的努力長期聚焦在捕魚用具上，尤其是在東岸用來獵捕龍蝦的漁具。

The proposed speed rules signal that the government wants the shipping industry to take more responsibility.

擬議的限速法條顯示，政府希望航運業能夠承擔更多責任。

The rules would expand the East Coast’s seasonal slow zones, where mariners must slow down to 19 kilometers per hour, and would require vessels of more sizes to comply.

這項規定可能會擴大東岸的季節性慢速區，水手在區域內必須減速至時速19公里，而且可能要求更多不同規模的船艦遵行。

新聞辭典

vanishing：形容詞，正在消失的。例句：The vanishing work force hinder economic development.（正在消失的勞動力阻礙經濟發展）

entanglement：名詞，糾纏；糾葛。例句：The sea turtle died from entanglement in fishing nets.（這隻海龜死於漁網牽絆。）

gear：名詞，（從事特定活動的）用具；裝備。例句：Tom got the camping gear. （湯姆有帶露營用具。）