[WATCH] #MakeWayForWhales: Belgian shipowners launched European awareness campaign on ship strikes

Together with the Great Whale Conservancy, the Royal Belgian Shipowners' Association (KBRV) brought a life-sized replica of a real female blue whale on a European tour to raise awareness about what the shipping industry and policymakers can do about the high whale fatalities.

On Thursday 13 June 2024, the KBRV placed Star, an inflatable blue whale in front of the Antwerp Central train station. The whale measures 26m long, 5m wide and 5m tall. The action drew widespread attention from both the media and the public, who have been able to witness the majestic dimensions of these animals and learn about the initiatives taken by the industry, innovators and maritime stakeholders to look for solutions.

The #MakeWayForWhales campaign is a collaboration between the KBRV and the Great Whale Conservancy.

Watch the video to listen to how different stakeholders are contributing:

• Basile Aloy, CEO of EBE
• Michael Fishbach, Co-Founder of the Great Whale Conservancy
• Piet Opstaele, CEO of Blauwe Cluster
• Svetoslav Todorov, Head of Handy Operations, Cobelfret
• Marijn Woudberg, Program Manager, Plug and Play Maritime

This campaign is yet another proof of Belgian shipowners going #boldlyBEyond for the future of shipping.

After Antwerp, Star will travel to Bruges, before heading to Denmark, London and Cyprus.

The KBRV also cordially invites other shipping associations, maritime authorities and policymakers to come onboard to continue the efforts to #MakeWayForWhales.