The Spanish government has asked for the speed of vessels to be restricted to 13 knots, so that avoiding action is possible if whales are spotted. Many whales visit the area, to target squid.
Between 2001 and 2005, two sperm whales and three fin whales died through collisions with ships, according to the Cadiz-based Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans (CIRC).
Another problem is thought to be pollution. In the past three months, six dead pilot whales, creatures sensitive to contamination, have been washed up. Scientists think the deaths could be linked with oil and other materials emitted from some of the estimated 90,000 craft in the Strait each year.
Scientists from the Centre for the Recovery of Threatened Maritime Species in Andalusia, working with Italy's University of Sienna, are measuring levels of hydrocarbons, heavy metals and toxins in an effort to establish the cause of the whales' deaths.
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