U.S. NAVY ATTACKS THE WHALES
By N.G.
About 2 years ago, one type of sonar
system, an underwater three dimensional scanning device, was tested in the
Bahamas.
Right after the tests, whales from
different species beached themselves, and 7 of them died after horrible
suffering. The US Navy initially denied their sonar system was responsible for
the deaths, but their own investigation found out later, that the dead whales
had hemorrhaging around their eyes and ears, indicating severe acoustic trauma.
Since the tests, the population of beaked whales has disappeared, leading
researchers to conclude that they abandoned their habitat or died at sea.
In July 2002, despite strong concerns
from many leading scientists, the Bush Administration authorized the US Navy to
use the SURTASS LFA Sonar System (Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low
Frequency Active Sonar), which is the deadliest type of sonar system that had
been developed, to detect submarines.
Bush gave the US Navy a permit to use
the SURTASS LFA Sonar System in 75 percent of the world’s oceans. The vast
dying of sea animals would have such an impact on our ecosystem, that mammals on
land including us could suffer consequences we do not even foresee now. This
system is more powerful than the one that was tested in the Bahamas, and
it’s soundwaves spread across hundreds of thousands of square miles in the
water. These soundwaves, sent out by under water loudspeakers, scan the ocean
for objects in vast distances, producing a sound volume of 240 decibels. Even
100 miles away from the source, the sound has a volume of 160 decibels, loud
enough to cause permanent hearing damage in humans.
Marine mammals have a much higher
hearing sensitivity than humans. Their survival depends on their exceptional
hearing ability. In addition to the hemorrhaging of ears and lungs, the whales
experience decompression sickness. Whales who are diving into deeper water panic
at the volume of the sound and rise up too quickly, causing expanding nitrogen
in their bodies from the rapid change in pressure, which can cause serious
damage to cells.
NRDC, Greenpeace, and
other environmental organizations are currently appealing in court against the
deployment of the LFA Sonar System to save the whales from suffering a gruesome
death. In 2002 a judge pointed out that the Bush Administration’s permit
for the use of the LFA Sonar System violates a number of federal laws, WHALES
including the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the
National Environmental Policy Act. The judge also agreed, that science clearly
demonstrates "the possibility, indeed probability, of irreparable injury" to
ocean mammals, if LFA Sonar would be deployed widely.
After a recent court ruling in favor
of the environmental organizations, the US Navy is not allowed to test the LFA
Sonar System during the whales’ migrational periods, the test range was
reduced to less than 1% of the originally approved range, and tests are now
narrowed down to the eastern seaboard of Asia, including China, Korea, Japan,
and the Philippines, an area of about 1.5 million square miles, and the tests
are not permitted within the 30 to 60 miles coastline range. The restrictions
become invalid in times of war.
The US
Navy is constantly seeking exemptions from the laws they are breaking. The US
Navy is trying to persuade the Legislation to modify the Marine Mammal
Protection Act and other laws so they can deploy the LFA Sonar system more
widely. Now the Defense Department is even in the process of being declared
exempt from provisions of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal
Protection Act.
The battle is not
over. Just the newsmedia make it look like the Natural Resources Defense Council
won a "major victory", so the majority is being led to believe that everything
is fine now and whales are safe. A few month ago the US Navy broadcasted a very
deceptive advertisement on television, making people think they care about the
animals in the ocean. The truth is that the US Navy could not care less about
the ocean mammals. They care about money and power. The Bush Administration and
the Navy does not want you to know what they are conspiring about.
We all need to write letters to our
senators and congress people, urging them to speak up against the LFA Sonar
System. The LFA Sonar System destroys the oceans and has to be completely
outlawed. Together we can achieve our goal, every one a little wheel in a large
machinery. For more information on the situation about LFA Sonar, please look at
these websites:
www.nrdc.org •
www.greenpeaceusa.org
Posted: Thu - July 1, 2004 at 07:27 PM