Marine Impacts News

Monitoring equipment registers navy exercise
(Added: 09 May 2008)
The activities of navy warships on exercise off the north-west coast of Scotland (Hebridean area) recently were picked up by earthquake monitoring equipment and registered three times at magnitudes of 1.1, 1.5 and 1.9. The British Geological Survey said they were registered as earthquakes until confirmation from the Royal Navy. The Exercise Joint Warrior involved 36 vessels from the UK and Nato countries.

White House block whale protection
(Added: 02 May 2008)
The North Atlantic right whale is considered one of the most endangered species on Earth, with a population estimated at about 300 animals but according to documents obtained by the Union of Concerned Scientists, White House officials for more than a year have blocked a rule aimed at protecting these marine mammals.
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Good news from Robson Bight
(Added: 21 April 2008)
We are delighted to report there has been some good news from our colleagues on Hanson Island! The BC Environment Minister, Barry Penner has announced that the government and Department of Fisheries and Oceans will salvage critical pieces of wreckage from Robson Bight following the August 2007 barge incident (see below news item 31 March 2008).
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Navy releases marine impact study
(Added: 04 April 2008)
The US Navy for the first time has released a massive study that examines the potential collateral damage to wildlife when training sailors to use sonar, drop bombs and fire missiles. It comes after judges repeatedly ruled that the Navy failed to do a proper assessment on how to protect whales and dolphins from sonar used to look for submarines.
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Orca habitat under threat
(Added: 31 March 2008)
The Marine Connection has received updated news from our colleagues at Orcalab on Hanson Island, British Columbia with regards to the fuel tanker that sunk in August 2007 in the world’s best known orca habitat – the Ecological Reserve at Robson Bight.
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Sonar limits frustrate Navy
(Added: 31 March 2008)
The Navy have raised concerns about new sonar restrictions as it finished three days of anti-submarine warfare training off Hawaii — the first such training under a US court order on sonar use that is meant to give better protection to whales and dolphins.
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Airport plans threat to dolphin population
(Added: 27 March 2008)
A population of rare Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong's coastal waters may be threatened by several upcoming construction projects including a proposed new airport runway.
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Judge overturns sonar waiver
(Added: 05 February 2008)
A federal court has struck down a waiver issued by the White House stating that President Bush cannot exempt the U.S. Navy from complying with environmental law during sonar training exercises off southern California.
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Navy training will go ahead
(Added: 18 January 2008)
Navy officials have said that training planned for week commencing January 21 off the coast of Southern California will go on despite the ruling by a U.S. District Court Judge (see article below, 04 January.) However most of the protections will be left intact including a 12-nautical-mile no-sonar zone along the coast and requirements to monitor for marine mammals. More arguments for the case are set shortly.

US Navy must cut sonar use
(Added: 04 January 2008)
On January 3 2008, a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered the toughest set of restrictions ever imposed on the U.S. Navy's use of mid-frequency sonar off the Southern California coast as part of a protracted court battle to protect whales and other marine mammals from underwater sonic blasts.
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Whale injuries spark alerts
(Added: 17 December 2007)
Boat owners around Tasmania's East Coast have been urged to take care after humpbacks whales were spotted with extreme propeller injuries. The animals are still migrating south but one animal in particular was seen with massive scarring after a propeller hit the length of its body and shredded its tail. Fortunately it has healed but the scarring indicates it had been a very severe injury.

Man fined for harassing dolphins
(Added: 29 November 2007)
A man convicted of recklessly harassing a school of dolphins while on a jet ski has been fined £500. Nicol Wood, 22, had earlier gone on trial over an incident with a school of bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth.
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Behavioral Response Study off Bahamas
(Added: 29 November 2007)
A series of experiments to study deep-diving cetaceans was conducted off Andros Island in the Bahamas recently - the BRS scientific team has prepared a short cruise report summary which can be found here.

Black Sea oil spill
(Added: 16 November 2007)
An oil spill from a Russian tanker into the Black Sea has caused the deaths of many dolphins in the area and the nearby Sea of Azov may suffer heavy pollution if urgent measures are not taken. The oil has polluted over a 30 mile long stretch of coastline and rescue workers are having to remove 10,000 tonnes of oily sludge from the shore. 1,500 tonnes of fuel oil is still afloat in the water, killing thousands of birds and fish.

Possible new safeguards for marine mammals
(Added: 16 November 2007)
A US appeals court has restored a ban on the U.S. Navy's use of submarine -hunting sonar in upcoming training missions off Southern California until it adopts better safeguards for whales, dolphins and other marine mammals.
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Whale sanctuary threatened by terminal plan
(Added: 30 October 2007)
The Italian government has given approval for a liquefied natural gas terminal to be installed on a huge ship anchored 12 miles off the coast of Livorno, in Tuscany, in the middle of a whale and dolphin sanctuary.
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Whales to have better protection
(Added: 12 October 2007)
North Atlantic right whales can now feed and socialise without fear of colliding with large ships. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has designated the Roseway Basin, some 20 nautical miles south of Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia, as an "Area to be Avoided" (ATBA) by commercial shipping, on a seasonal basis.
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Drilling threatens marine life
(Added: 12 October 2007)
The Japan Petroleum Exploration Company (JAPEX) has been granted an environmental compliance certificate and conditional support from the local government to carry out drilling activities off the Negros and Cebu islands from mid-November through to 2008. This activity which involves drilling an exploration well in up to 200 metres of water off the islands coincides with the mating season in Tanon Strait, home to 11 of the 24 marine mammals found in Philippine waters, including dolphins and whales.

Update on whale strike
(Added: 27 September 2007)
A boat operator that hit a whale in July of this year (see report 19 July below) is now facing charges and if found guilty will be fined up to £5,000. He has 30 days to appeal.

Naval exercises off South Africa
(Added: 31 August 2007)
The Marine Connection is concerned with regards to some NATO naval exercises taking place shortly off the Cape Peninsula, South Africa as they will coincide with the height of the whale season. Hundreds of southern right whales have already arrived for their annual visit to the Cape waters, many of them giving birth or mating. There are humpback whales and Bryde's whales in the area too, therefore with so many whales inshore and off-shore, the chances of vessel strikes are also of major concern.

Oil spill off Vancouver Island
(Added: 21 August 2007)
Scientists and environment officials are keeping a close watch on some killer whales following an oil spill which has occurred about 800 metres from the ecological reserve at Robson Bight, Vancouver Island. The sheltered waters along Vancouver Island's northeast coast are amongst the best places in the world to view orcas in their natural surroundings.
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