Image for representation purposes only Scientists have warned that changing global shipping routes caused by conflicts in the Middle East are increasing the risk of whales being struck by vessels off South Africa’s south-western coast. Researchers say the rerouting of commercial ships around the Cape of Good Hope since late 2023 has substantially raised the chances of collisions between vessels and whale populations that inhabit the waters around the Western Cape. The increase in rerouted shipping began after Houthi rebels hijacked the British-owned vehicle carrier Galaxy Leader near Yemen in November 2023. Ongoing attacks in the region and tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran have since forced more shipping companies to avoid Middle Eastern waters. According to figures from the International Monetary Fund’s PortWatch monitor, an average of 89 commercial vessels sailed around southern Africa between March 1 and April 24 this year, compared with 44 vessels during the same period in 2023. The findings were presented to the International Whaling Commission by Professor Els Vermeulen and her team from the University of Pretoria’s Whale Unit. Vermeulen said the researchers studied where different whale species are commonly found around the Western Cape and compared those areas with current shipping routes to identify where collisions are most likely to happen. The study found a significant overlap between important whale habitats and increasingly busy shipping lanes off South Africa’s coast. Continued attacks in the Red Sea region and tensions involving Iran have since led more operators to reroute ships around southern Africa instead of using Middle Eastern routes. Vermeulen said the increase in high-speed vessel traffic was especially concerning. “The fastest traffic, which poses the greatest strike risk, has increased by a factor of four,” she told AFP. She also said collisions are difficult to measure because many happen far offshore. In many cases,