NGOs and Alaska residents have been voicing their concerns over the US Navy's plan to train with mid-frequency active sonar in the Gulf of Alaska beginning in the summer of 201 because of the impact it could have on the marine life.

The Navy have been holding meetings throughout Alaska to discuss its Gulf of Alaska Training Activities Environmental Impact Statement that lays out three options for the future of the annual training. The first option is no action, which would maintain the status quo of annual Navy training that takes place during 14-day period between April and October. The second option, which the Navy is calling Alternative 1, would increase the training to a 21-day period between April and October and would include use of mid-frequency active sonar. The third option, called Alternative 2, would be the same as Alternative 1 but would include a second 21-day training exercise and the possibility of a sinking exercise during each three-week period. The Navy would take decommissioned ships and clean them to Environmental Protection Agency standards that would be used as live fire target practice at least 50 nautical miles from shore and sunk in at least 6,000 feet of water.

Marine Connection comments; "The exercises are planned off Kodiak, a critical habitat area for Northern Right whales. These particular whales are considered by some to be close to extinction with only 100 left in Alaska. Regular readers of the charity's website will be aware that we campaign against the use of such sonar exercises because of the evidence that mid-frequency active sonar can effect whales. Although they were beaked whales, one of the best documented whale strandings that coincided with military activities was the Canary Islands in 2002 where strandings began about four hours after the start of a nearby international naval exercise using mid-frequency sonar."

The public comment period for the draft EIS ended on January 25 and is currently being revised by the project team. A final EIS is expected sometime in late autumn or early winter, which will also have a public comment period. A Record of Decision is expected sometime in late 2010 or early 2011 that will decide on one of the three training options.

The charity would like to thank all our supporters who helped by submitting their comments.

NOAA have also announced a new initiative to potentially mitigate harm from U.S. Navy mid-frequency sonar and from other sources of ocean noise. The announcement, which comes in a letter can be found here