Dear all,

Please find below the internship description and instructions for application.

Thank you.

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Ship speeds in the Strait of Gibraltar

This internship is through IFAW’s European Marine Conservation Programme and based in the IFAW office in Brussels, Belgium.

 

Programme Background 

 

IFAW’s Marine Conservation Programme focuses on protecting critical habitat, conserving endangered cetaceans, and addressing threats to cetaceans such as whaling, entanglement, ship strike and anthropogenic noise. IFAW works to reduce the risk of ship strikes to whales in known vessel-whale hotspots, while continuing to identify other high risk areas. IFAW is also a permanent observer at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Whaling Commission (IWC). As part of IFAW’s efforts to protect marine life from the impacts of ocean noise we educate the public about this global pollution problem, work within the IMO to provide expert advice on marine mammals and focus on governmental and industry change to decrease underwater noise pollution throughout the world’s oceans.

Background

 

The Strait of Gibraltar is transited by an increasingly large number of ferries and fast ferries on the North-South axis, and cargos on the East-West axis. Approximately 110,000 voyages occur in the Strait each year connecting numerous North African and Middle Eastern ports with those in North, Central, and South America. This, along with passenger and fast ferries that transport 4,000,000 passengers per year, private yachts, whale-watching and fishing vessels, makes the area a major vessel-strike risk to whales.

 

Following review by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a 13-knot speed limit recommendation between April and August was endorsed through the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) to reduce the risk of ship strike to sperm whales. This recommended speed restriction was added to International Nautical Charts, and disseminated as a Notice to Mariners (published on January 2007 by the Spanish Navy Hydrographical Institute). In so doing, this measure became the first vessel speed recommendation instituted in a TSS (Traffic Separation Scheme) for the purposes of cetacean conservation.  

 

Internship Duties

Between June and September 2018 the intern, based in the Brussels office, will:

1.     Review recent information on cetacean distribution in the area engaging with local researchers, and conduct interviews.

2.     Assess how the speed limit has been communicated and respected (or not) in the past years, where feasible, and continue ship monitoring via www.marinetraffic.com to enable analysis of shipping behaviour to continue.

3. Investigate how information regarding the voluntary speed limit is communicated to ship operators (nautical charts, radio broadcasts via VHS Spain, sailing directions etc.), the proportion of ship operators informed/aware of the speed limit, when information is received (e.g. in time to incorporate in voyage planning or not) etc.
4. Continue investigation and compile information on speeds of ships travelling through speed limit area of 13 knots (24 km/hr). 
5. Identify approximately 20 of biggest container ships, identify owner/operator and compile contact details.
6. Evaluate numbers and types of ships exceeding the speed limit. Evaluate responses from ship operators. Outreach to ship operators, Spanish and Moroccan governments.

 

Requirements:

1. Must be at least 18 years old and an EU citizen.
2. Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program, or to have graduated within 3 years.
3. Able to follow written and oral staff directions and protocols effectively and able to work in teams and individually.
4. Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
5. Must be able to commit to a minimum 4 days a week during the internship session.
6. Fluent in English and good level of Spanish is preferable.

 

Preferable:

Undergraduate or graduate of biology, zoology, ecology, nautical engineer or related field.

 

 

Important Information

 

·     This internship is unpaid and housing and transportation are the responsibility of the intern. IFAW will provide intern with expenses reimbursements and cover travel costs to Spain as necessary.

·     Interns intending to receive academic credit are responsible for making all arrangements with their educational institution.

·     Please email any questions regarding academic credits and general questions to: applications.ifaw@gmail.com.

 

Application materials due by: 13 April, 2018
Internship starts 1^st June 2018.

Only complete applications will be considered.

Required application materials (you must provide all three):

·     Cover Letter

·     Resume or C.V.

·     One Letter of Recommendation from college professor or supervisor.