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Letter from People for Puget Sound to Acting Secretary of the NavyJune 6, 2003 Dear Secretary Johnson: On behalf of People For Puget Sound, I am writing to ask that the Navy refrain from future sonar operations in Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits. Southern Resident orca whales, the most beloved creatures in our precious inland sea, are on the brink of extinction. At the top of Puget Sound’s food web, these creatures’ plight also reflects the crisis of Puget Sound’s ecosystem. The National Marine Fisheries Service has designated the Southern Resident community of orcas as "depleted" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, having determined that they are on a path toward extinction. The region is struggling to restore the orcas’ food source—salmon; to remove toxins from the environment; and to curtail activities that disturb the whales’ ability to feed and rest. Actions that could further diminish the orcas’ chances for survival must be avoided. Our other marine mammals deserve the same consideration. Witnesses reported that the Navy vessel Shoup’s sonar use on May 5 in Haro Strait dramatically disturbed marine mammals. There are also confirmed reports of sonar use on days preceding May 5. As is typical this time of year, the entire J pod of orcas was in the area on May 5. Also as is typical, many other marine mammals were present and affected. Indeed, there is no time of year when sonar operations could be conducted in the Sound and Straits without risking grave damage to orcas, Dall’s porpoises, minke whales and others. In addition to orcas and at least one minke making desperate attempts to flee the overwhelming sound level on May 5, a total of ten Dall's and harbor porpoises stranded and died following recent sonar use. Similar sonar use in the Bahamas in March 2000 killed rare whales and dolphins. The Navy is an important player in the Puget Sound region. On many occasions, Navy personnel have indicated that they are partners in regional efforts to restore the health of the marine ecosystem. There are many challenges ahead, including the need to clean up contamination on and near Navy facilities. We doubt that the Navy would like to kill marine mammals on the one hand, while attempting to work with ecosystem restoration efforts on the other. The Navy’s cooperation in stopping sonar use is necessary to the survival and health of our whales and porpoises, and essential to restoring a mutually respectful and collaborative relationship with the public and the many Puget Sound area agencies, organizations and businesses working to protect marine mammals and their habitat. Thank you for your consideration, Kathy Fletcher Letter from San Juan County Commissioners to Commander Evon Bernard CarterMay 20, 2003 Dear Sir, On 5 May 2003, the US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer Shoup DDG86 conducted sonar operations for five hours in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and in Haro Strait between Vancouver Island and San Juan County. The whales and porpoises in the region could not escape the intense mid-frequency (3 kHz) long duration "pings" from the ship's SQS 53C sonar. By chance, all 22 members of the Southern Resident J-Pod were in Haro Strait at the time of the sonar operations. Observers noted that they abruptly stopped their feeding and gathered in a tight group to swim close to shore at the surface for the duration of the sonar exercise. The sonar "pings" were so powerful that they could be heard in the air by visitors along the shoreline of San Juan Island. Respected killer whale expert Dr. David Bain of the University of Washington, collecting field data on vessel impacts to orcas as part of a five-year study funded by Friday Harbor-based Orca Conservancy, also witnessed the event. He reports that "after the ship passed, (the porpoises) were observed traveling away from the ship at high speed. This is similar to the behavior of Dahl's porpoises in the presence of other loud sounds, such as air gun blasts." Dr. Bain also observed a 30-foot minke whale in the area at the time of the sonar blast, exiting the area at such a frantic rate of speed that its massive body literally exploded at the surface with each breath of air - a behavior described by researchers as "porpoising." He reported seeing "a porpoising minke whale just south of the Center for Whale Research. It has been about 20 years since I've seen a minke porpoising." Sonar tests have also been reported a week prior to the May 5th blast. A total of ten Dahl's and harbor porpoises have stranded and died following the sonar events. The carcasses of some of these mammals have been collected for forensic examination for acoustic pressure trauma (bleeding in ears and brain). We can only guess what kind of damage Navy sonar tests - the loudest sounds ever created by humans - have done to the whales, who rely on their acoustic abilities to survive. With our beloved Southern Resident orcas in such trouble, their numbers dropping some 20 percent over the last eight years, these underwater explosions could be the final blow to the survival of the population. On Thursday the 14th, killer whale expert Ken Balcomb appeared on KCPQ Television in Seattle, suggesting that increased Navy sonar presence in the Sound since 1994 may be directly correlated to the precipitous decline of our orcas. While Balcomb admits that much work needs to be done to confirm this link, Michael Harris of Orca Conservancy notes in the story that "Ken is not only one of the foremost authorities on killer whale research in the country but a former Navy acoustics specialist. If he says there's a link between sonar activity and the decline of orcas here, I'd listen to him." A similar practice sonar event in the Bahamas in March 2000 killed at least seven and as many as 17 rare whales and dolphins, some of the animals stranding on, coincidentally, the very doorstep of Ken Balcomb's research facility there. Balcomb's quick work in transporting a carcass back to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute for a C-T scan revealed that massive acoustic trauma killed the animals. It took a year for the Navy to admit that its tests resulted in the mass stranding, and to promise it would take every precaution in the future to prevent it from happening again. This is not a time for the military to be seeking exemptions from environmental laws protecting our marine mammals. This is a time to be working with the communities in which they live, rather that against them. We want you to be able to do your job. But national security certainly doesn't need to come at the cost of our natural heritage, and specifically the majestic, sentient beings that reside in our waters. These are not just our totem species; our whales and dolphins are at the very heart of the San Juan Islands, our spirit, our character, our business interests. Our environmental laws, including the Marine Mammal Protection are not just designed to protect our plants and animals, they are designed to protect our communities. In Senate testimony last month, Christine Whitman, head of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency, said, "I don't believe that there is a training mission anywhere in the country that is being held up or not taking place because of environmental protection regulation." We implore our military, and specifically the Navy, to stand with us in protecting our whales and dolphins, to help us address the startling decline of our orcas, and whenever possible deploy its vast resources toward our conservation efforts. You are in an important part of our community. We need you to do all you can to allow these creatures to continue to thrive. Board of County Commissioners, San Juan County Washington
Letter from Whale Watch Operators Association NorthwestMay 12, 2003 Dear Member of Congress, As whale watch operators dependent upon healthy marine mammal populations, we are writing you out of concern about the Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative (RRPI) proposed by the Department of Defense (DOD). The RRPI amends key provisions of five environmental and public health laws including: the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), CERCLA or superfund, the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and, of particular concern for us, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). We recognize the importance of readiness for our military. However, we are concerned that some in the Bush Administration are using the war victory to undermine these vital environmental protections. Specifically these proposals would:
As whale watch operators, we are particularly concerned about the impacts of this law on marine mammal protections. We depend on healthy whale populations for our businesses, and feel a deep connection to these animals from our work. We are concerned about the Navy use of Low Frequency Active Sonar, and some of us have personally seen the devastating effects which this technology can have on marine mammals. By changing the definition of harassment in the Marine Mammal Protection Act and eliminating its restrictions on accidental deaths, this legislation would allow the military to significantly disturb and reduce marine mammal populations. Existing laws already strike a proper balance between protection of public health and the environment and military readiness. Any concerns should be addressed through existing waiver provisions, advance planning between the Department of Defense and environmental agencies, and through the process of local cooperation and consultation that has been successful at many sites. Sweeping exemptions, such as those proposed by the Pentagon, will only harm public health and the environment. We urge you to voice your opposition to DOD's proposals, and oppose any language that grants DOD new broad exemptions from public health and environmental laws. Whale Watch Operators Association Northwest |
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