2026 Vessel Speed Reduction Season Kicked off on Earth Day

Industry Leadership Celebrated by Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program

Earth Day marked several important milestones for California’s coast, benefiting both people in coastal  counties and marine life. On April 22, Blue Whales and Blue Skies (BWBS) launched the 2026 voluntary  Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) Season, now along the entire California coast as set forth in California  Assembly Bill 14, authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart and signed into law by Governor Gavin  Newsom last year.  

The season kickoff also featured an in-person gathering near the Port of Oakland for the annual BWBS  Awards Ceremony. Industry, public agencies, and nonprofit leaders gathered to recognize shipping lines’  verified efforts in responsible shipping over the course of the 2025 Season. The event included awards for  top-performing shipping lines and company ambassadors, and honored Assemblymember Hart for his  leadership and support of the program’s work toward safer whales, cleaner air, and a quieter ocean. 

“When industry leaders and public partners step up together, we send a powerful signal: protecting our  oceans and growing our economy are not competing goals, they are shared responsibilities,” said  Assemblymember Hart. “Through the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program, California isn’t just  participating in this work, we are setting the standard.” 

“I’d like to congratulate the shipping lines that signed up to participate in the 2025 program,” said Aeron  Arlin Genet, Executive Director of Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, one of the  program’s founding partners. “These shipping companies take pride in the environmental benefits their  voluntary actions can have, both for the protection of whales and of human health. It was exciting to  celebrate their success alongside Assemblymember Gregg Hart, whose dedicated leadership with AB 14  allowed this impressive program to expand statewide moving forward.” 

The ceremony included an overview of the 2025 Season results, and for the first time, panel  presentations by shipping lines, program ambassadors (including consumer brands, ports, and maritime  logistics and technology representatives), and whale conservation leaders, including from the World  Wildlife Fund, University of Washington, Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, and the California Marine  Sanctuary Foundation.  

MSC received the Sustained Leadership Award, recognizing the world’s largest container line as the most  consistent top performer in the program across its 11-year history, and shared their World Whale Day video, which highlighted the importance of, and MSC’s commitment to, protecting endangered whale  populations. Representatives from MSC, CMA CGM, CSL Americas, and NYK Line – top performers across  the container, car carrier, and bulk-carrier operator categories in the 2025 program – highlighted their  efforts to protect biodiversity and air quality.  

“We at NYK Line are excited once again to receive the sapphire award,” said Jack Duesler, Operations  Manager of NYK Line’s RORO Division. “It takes a tremendous effort from our crews and staff overseas  and locally to make this happen.”  

“CMA CGM has been involved in the Blue Whales Blue Skies Program for the last six years,” said John  Roehl, the U.S. West Coast Director of Marine Operations for CMA CGM. “It’s something that is very  important to us and it’s in our DNA to participate. In the 2025 season, we are proud to say that we  earned a cooperation grade of 99%, which equates to over 60,000 nautical miles of transits at whale safer  speeds off California. It’s something we are very passionate about, and we are happy to be a part of this  great program.”  

Company ambassadors including JAS Worldwide, Nomad, STAX Engineering, and The Block Logistics  shared insights on supporting responsible supply chains, what makes them hopeful, and how they are  navigating the landscape.  

“What gives me hope is seeing real, measurable progress as companies take sustainability seriously— there’s nothing quite like watching STAX’s emissions capture system redirect and clean pollution from a  40,000-ton cargo ship in real time,” said Jaimi Klein, Head of Marketing for STAX Engineering.  

“JAS is proud to be awarded BWBS Sapphire ambassador for the second consecutive year. We remain  committed to working alongside our customers, carriers, and partners while respecting the oceans that  support life on Earth,” said Andrea Goeman, SVP Global QHSE & Sustainability for JAS Worldwide.  

Celebrating Industry Leadership & Impact 

Each year, BWBS encourages and verifies shipping lines’ voluntary efforts regarding cooperation with the  program’s parameters for slowing down, and works with research partners to quantify the environmental  benefits including: reduced risk to whales and reduced underwater noise pollution, and improved air  quality via reduced smog-forming oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), diesel particulate  matter (DPM), and greenhouse gas emissions. During the awards ceremony, top-performing shipping  lines and program ambassadors are recognized, and Sapphire Award winners receive the coveted whale  tails, handcrafted this year by shipwright Nate Slater.  

Sapphire Awards 

Shipping Lines: CMA CGM; MSC; COSCO; NYK Line RoRo; Yang Ming; OOCL; Hapag-Lloyd; Marathon  Petroleum; OSG Ship Management; ConocoPhillips Polar Tankers; CSL Americas; Wan Hai Lines; Scorpio  Group; Seaspan Corporation; Swire Shipping; BP Shipping Ltd.; Campbell Shipping Company; GoldenKing  Ship Management Co.; Toyofuji Shipping Co.; Unity Ship Management; Hakuyo Kisen KK; and Nhat Viet  Transportation Corporation. Ambassadors: Nomad Goods, Sonos, JAS Worldwide, Who Gives a Crap, and  ShipCo Transport. 

Gold Awards 

Shipping Lines: Maersk; ONE; Evergreen; Mol ACE; Wallenius Wilhelmsen; Liberty Maritime; Eastern  Pacific Shipping; Unisea Shipping Ltd; Canfornav; and Weihai Weitong Marine Shipping Co. Ambassadors:

Block Logistics, Port of Hueneme, and Port of Oakland. 

Blue Sky Awards 

Shipping Lines: Hyundai (UCC); K Line; Hyundai Glovis; D’Amico Group; Swire Bulk; Champion Tankers  AS; Anglo-Eastern Shipmanagement; MT Maritime Management USA; Asan Merchant Marine Co. LTD;  and Shih Wei Navigation. 

“This annual event is truly one of the highlights of my year,” said Jessica Morten, Director of Marine  Resource Protections for the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation. “Gathering in person to celebrate  our shipping line participants and ambassadors for another season of positive impact is always inspiring.  It felt especially meaningful this year as we kicked off a new season that expands these protections  statewide, covering even more vital whale habitat and air quality zones. We are immensely proud of — and grateful for — the collaborative relationships we’ve built with the shipping industry, and we look  forward to continuing to demonstrate that commerce and conservation can, and do, coexist.”  

About & Enrollment Information 

BWBS is a collaborative partnership working toward safer whales, cleaner air, and a quieter ocean.  Partners include the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation; Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, San  Luis Obispo County, Northern Sonoma County, and San Diego County Air Pollution Control Districts; Bay  Area Air Quality Management District; Monterey Bay Air Resources District; Channel Islands, Monterey  Bay, Greater Farallones, and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries; and Benioff Ocean Science  Laboratory. Container, car carrier, bulk, general cargo, tanker, and — new for the 2026 Season — cruise  lines are eligible to enroll. Early enrollment is encouraged (but not required) to receive all the customized  monthly reports detailing whale sightings and fleet-specific data. Enrollment materials and details can be  found here. Questions may be sent to Jessica Morten at jessica.morten@noaa.gov and Danielle Alvarez  at dalvarez@californiamsf.org. For questions on the ambassador program, contact Becca Tucker at  becca@californiamsf.org.