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Navy sonar ban to save whales
The United States Navy has been banned from using a type of sonar that wildlife supporters say harms whales. The injunction issued by a federal court outlaws use of the sonars in exercises off the California coast. It is a victory for environmental group Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), which filed a lawsuit in March claiming the navy did not do enough environmental testing of the equipment. The sonar is used to detect underwater objects such as submarines and is critical to readiness training, navy officials said. "The US navy's use of sonar, and the ability to test and train with it, is critical to the national security of the United States," the government argued before the start of the hearing in the US District Court in Los Angeles. Three tests have taken place off California and 11 more were scheduled through 2009. But the NRDC claims the sonar, which shoots bursts of sound, is so loud it kills whales. "Scientists all agree that mid-frequency sonar causes whales to strand and die," said Joel Reynolds, the NRDC's head of marine mammal protection. The NRDC filed a similar suit in Hawaii, where a court told the navy to implement measures to protect whales before proceeding with its exercises. "This is among the most biologically rich areas in the country," Mr Reynolds said of the area off the California coast. Posted by: Seafarious 2007-08-07 |
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