Federal maritime officials have approved a plan to protect whales in and around San Francisco Bay.

Shipping industry representatives joined with whale researchers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish new cargo lanes that will likely take effect next year for one of the world's busiest ports.

On average, one whale per year is hit by a shipping vessel, and the rate had been getting worse. The agreed upon solution is a win-win for the blue whales, which feed on krill in the Bay, and the shipping companies, which would incur highter costs if current routes were slapped with a slower speed limit.

The plan also calls for better monitoring of whale locations along routes.

(WATCH the CBS video below or READ the AP story from KGO-San Francisco)