FW: Another Whale Killing Sonar Study

[Guest guest]

[note: forwarded to me, I did receive this post directly -- JR]

 

Hi All,

In the Federal Court in San Francisco this morning (Jan 8) a

temporary restraining order was imposed on a study of

SONAR on whales. The following message is a call to

action for next week, when the same court will make a

further ruling. The time and date of the court is Jan

17, 2003 at 9am in SF Fed Dist Ct - Ct Rm 1, 455

Golden Gate Av. Judge Conti.

 

You may be aware of a similar SONAR study, with

mid-frequencies causing the beaching and deaths of

whales around the globe. This different study involves

high frequencies and may have a similar effect.

Necropsies showed that the whales had burst ear

mechanisms and brain hemmoraghes in the

mid-frequencies trials. In addition, the loudness of

this new test, 180dB (decibels), is far above the

loudest rock concert. The previous study was hundred

folds above the sound of a NASA rocket launch.

 

Following is a post from Robin Mankey & Cheryl Magill,

of Stop LSAS, who are generating the alert. Please get

involved or pass this on to others in your part of

California who will be interested.

 

//////////\\\\\\\\\\\

Robin Mankey <dollfun

Gray whales may need URGENT help

 

GRAY WHALE - RED ALERT. PLEASE READ URGENTLY.

* " Anything that has the potential to change, even

slightly, a whole population of migrating whales

should be viewed with extreme caution. If something

serious befalls these migrating animals, it means that

the whole population is doomed. " Dr Lindy Weilgart -

Eye of the Whale by Dick Russell.

 

* " Some of the most extensive early research (gray

whale communication) was conducted by the Anti

submarine warfare and Ocean Systems division of the

Lockheed California company. They wanted to gather

data on Gray whales " because of their obvious

anti-submarine warfare importance as potential 'false

targets ' for passive and active sonar. " Eye of the

Whale by Dick Russell.

 

* In ten days time, Dr Peter Tyack will deploy up to

185 dB of sonar at 3000 migrating gray whales. This

migration pulse will be primarily composed of heavily

pregnant whales and newborn calves.

 

* At IWC Japan, 2002, the US delegation gave evidence

that the gray whale population had crashed with a 9000

animal loss. Evidence was also given which showed that

gray whale calf numbers were down by 80 per cent in

2000 and according to the latest estimates, there is

NO sign of any significant recovery in calf or adult

numbers. The population continues to decline.

 

* Whilst the IWC Japan meeting was held between

12-24th May, Dr Tyack applied to NMFS to take and

harass 3,000 gray whales. That is more than 20 per

cent of the gray whale population - and in spite of

the fact that the estimate of abundance paper produced

at IWC was co-authored by an academic at Woods Hole

Oceangraphic Institute, no US delegate revealed the

proposed experiment or sought consent from the IWC

Scientific Committee.

 

* Dr Tyack plans to deploy sonar levels which will,

according to evidence at the CCC from previous cases,

interfere with calf communication. He also intends to

deploy sonar at night when it will be impossible to

check whether harm has occurred.

 

* Animals will be harassed at very close quarters and

a digital acoustic tag attached. This tag will be the

vehicle which allows very high levels of intense sound

to be directed at the whale, making it impossible for

the animal to escape its sonic prison.

 

* There is NO data on the effects of low, mid or high

frequency sonar on pregnant whales, calves in utero or

newborn calves. The IWC expressly forbids the taking

of any gray whale accompanied by a calf.

 

* NMFS has ruled that no EA or EIS is necessary, Dr

Tyack has been given flawed consent to take and harass

3,000 gray whales. An outrageous violation of the

Marine Mammal Protection Act, NEPA and the APA.

 

* The initial and only EA done by NMFS on the original

Tyack permit states that he has applied for a permit

for scientific research involving exposure of marine

mammals to low, mid and high frequency sound.

 

* Whatever the frequency, and it is clear from

research that efforts have been made to disguise and

mislead people on the decibels and frequency used,

180dB is , according to the Navy OEIS, going to have

harmful effects on 95% of marine mammals.

 

* Be aware that NO monitoring program has been set up

in Mexico. This experiment is in violation of the IWC,

the Biodiversity Convention, the Precautionary

Principle, and other international conventions. It

sets an appalling precedent which would allow any

scientist to experiment on large numbers of whales

without any EA, EIS or due process under the APA. AFA

is working with Lanny Sinkin, attorney in Hilo, he is

preparing to mount a lawsuit to stop this appalling

experiment. AFA has funded a legal letter to NMFS

outlining violations of NEPA and protesting the

experiment. We now seek your urgent attention and

willingness to fax the following people protesting

over the experiment, demanding that the permit be

halted until such time as a proper EIS is undertaken.

Please emphasise the fact that there is NO sign of

recovery in the gray whale population, it is in a

highly vulnerable state. Fax: William Hogarth,, NMFS, fax No: 301 713 1940, Peter Douglas,

Executive Director, California Coastal Commission, Fax

No: 415 904 5400.

 

WE URGENTLY NEED FUNDS TO MOUNT THIS LAWSUIT. If you

are willing to donate to this vitally important issue,

please contact me direct at : sarnold

 

Finally, we urge you all to realise that Dr Tyack has,

at this point in time, a permit to take and harass

over 400,000 cetaceans in US and on US waters. The

scale and scope of this permit are such that a

Congressional Inquiry should be undertaken into the

whole sorry affair.

 

THANKS

for the whales

Robin Mankey

650-208-3825

 

Cheryl Magill

Stop LSAS

408 504 9056

 

info on issue:

http://whaleattorney.com/Gray/CAMigration.html