US Navy Agrees To Limit Potentially Harmful Sonar Use

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The Navy agreed in a settlement approved Tuesday to limit where it operates certain sonar systems criticized by environmentalists as a threat to whales and other marine mammals.

The settlement approved by a federal judge in San Francisco restricts the Navy's use of low-frequency sonar to specific military training areas near Hawaii and in the western Pacific Ocean.

"Today's agreement maintains the Navy's ability to test and train while shielding whales and other vulnerable species from harmful underwater noise," said Michael Jasny, a policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, which was the lead plaintiff in the case.

In February, Magistrate Elizabeth Laporte found that low-frequency sonar blasted beneath the ocean's surface to detect submarines threatened the animals' ability to find food and avoid predators.

In a separate case, the Navy is asking the Supreme Court to reconsider a federal appeals court ruling limiting the use of mid-frequency sonar in training exercises off the Southern California coast.

The Navy argues that the decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco threatens the readiness of sailors and marines while providing limited environmental benefit.

Comments

[TheBlackCat]

I am a dolphin, and I approve this messege.

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

[Swerinjer]

They'll still torture and kill sea animals with the radar, just not where we can see the effects.

[crazylikeafox]

You're right. The law means nothing to them. And the laws they have passed in the last 7 years make sure you and I can't do anything about their crimes.

[SweetJudith]

You are right on!
They have never listened before, why should the do it now?
They simply don't care. We fought hard for this in Calif.
But it means squat to them. There are so many darlings that wash up on shore that
we do not hear about. These mental midgets are just trying to pacify us.
Someday, someday!

[rivrgrrl]

This is great news and a courageous ruling.

Now if we only had a way of ensuring that they will abide by it.

[ilovemydoggy]

This is great news. I am still concerned about the use of cell phones interfering with honey bees navigation, and Bee Colony Collapse. Humans are intruding and disrupting nature's cycles. "She" will only tolerate this for a certain time... we need to "wake up" and soon.

The future-- Biochar as alternative to heating oil:
http://www.Vaboomer.com

[KillTheMessenger]

One can rule out cell phone interference by correlating colony collapse with locations of cell phone towers. As far as I know colony collapse is happening everywhere, not just in places with active RF communication.

To nature any stress we put on ecosystems is indistinguishable from natural causes of mass extinction and evolution will react the same way: by leaving only the most sturdy (and thus most boring) species alive. We have to decide if we want to leave our kids a world where cockroaches, flies, rats and sparrows are the only survivors.

[Idiocracy]

"Humans are intruding and disrupting nature's cycles. "She" will only tolerate this for a certain time... we need to "wake up" and soon."

Dont worry about a thing... The planet isnt going anywhere.. WE ARE.

[RightWingMarine]

In a seperate agreement the rest of the world agreed to not use this limitation to Americas' disadvantage and to give prior notice of any surprise attack.

[Sumocat]

And how does active sonar protect us against surprise attack? We track foreign naval activities via satellite before they even leave port. No sonar there. If a hostile submarine did manage to slip by, we'd still need to know it's there before using active sonar. Active sonar gives away one's location and lets the enemy know someone is looking for them. It's vital for targeting, but you first need to know there's something to target. Passive sonar, however, is not blocked by this decision. It is silent and can uncover threats without revealing to them that they've been detected.

[RightWingMarine]

The article doesn't specify if this is active or passive sonar. It is simply pointing out that a tool the Navy would like to use in the defense of this nation is being restricted for limited environmental benefit.

[RightWingMarine]

I stand corrected. I did a little research on the low-freq sonar and it is an active sonar.

However, the Navy plans to implement this in 80% of the worlds oceans and this type of sonar is towed behind a TAGOS class ship which is a surface vessel. Clearly the Navy is not trying to be selective or secretive about the use of the technology. Furthermore military, commercial and even some recreational boats all use active sonar which generates pings every 9-15 seconds. It's not turned on only when the operator believes there may be something to find but is running continuously.

Active sonar is more useful than passive sonar because of advanced technologies making subs quieter and rendering passive sonar outdated.

[crazylikeafox]

My understanding is that it is a very low frequency.

At the time 14 beaked whales became beached on the same day that U.S. Navy destroyers where engaged in a sonar exercise. CAT scans of two heads collected from six whales that died confirmed later that the whales experienced hemorrhaging around the brain and ears
National Geographic News
March 31, 2004