- By Rosalind Peterson - August 11, 2009
NewsWithViews.com
The United States Navy will be decimating millions of marine mammals and
other aquatic life, each year, for the next five years, under their
Warfare Testing Range Complex Expansions in the Atlantic, Pacific, and
the Gulf of Mexico. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS under
NOAA), has already approved the “taking” of marine mammals
in more than a dozen Navy Range Warfare Testing Complexes (6), and is
preparing to issue another permit for 11.7 millions marine mammals (32
Separate Species), to be decimated along the Northern, California, Oregon
and Washington areas of the Pacific Ocean (7).
U.S. Department of Commerce – NOAA (NMFS) Definition: “TAKE”
Defined under the MMPA as "harass, hunt, capture, kill or collect,
or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, kill or collect." Defined
under the ESA as "to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound,
kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such
conduct." Definition: Incidental Taking: An unintentional, but
not unexpected taking (12).
The total number of marine mammals that will be decimated in the Atlantic,
Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico for the next five years is unknown. The
NMFS approvals will have a devastating impact upon the marine mammal
populations worldwide and this last Navy permit, which is expected to
be issued in February 2010, for the “taking” of more than
11.7 million marine mammals in the Pacific will be the final nail in
the coffin for any healthy populations of sea life to survive.
Now with ever-increasing numbers of permits being issued for sonar programs
in more than twelve ranges in the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic
regions of the United States, our marine mammals and other sea life
are facing complete devastation. When you add bomb blasts to this list,
warfare testing of all types, future war testing practice, and the toxic
chemicals which are both airborne and to be used underwater, there is
little chance that most marine life will survive in any significant
numbers. Our U.S. Senators and U.S. Congressmen refuse to postpone these
disastrous “takings” or hold U.S. Congressional Hearings
while pretending to be ocean environment friendly in their re-election
speeches.
Earlier this year, June 8th through June 16, 2009, a delegation from Connecticut
and California spent time walking the halls of the U.S. Senate and U.S.
House of Representatives. We left petitions, color fliers, and information
about saving our marine mammals, requested a postponement and U.S. Congressional
Hearings. Ninety-nine senate offices were visited and 2/3 of offices
in the U.S. House of Representatives. The silent response from our elected
officials regarding these two requests has been zero…one U.S.
Congressman even stated that citizens would be “laughed out of
the halls of the U.S. Congress for suggesting that we protect our marine
mammals”. Corporate paid “Lobbyists”, who hand out
money by the $Millions, on the other hand, are always accepted at hearings,
give testimony, and are welcomed in the halls of Congress…apparently
the voices of citizens of the United States are not given the same status.
These virtually unregulated Navy Warfare Testing Programs already approved
are now taking a toll on marine mammals, the fishing and ocean tourism
industries, and on all aquatic life. Many U.S. Senators and Congressmen
are ignoring these issues by pretending that they doesn’t exist
even though they have been informed in advance of these programs.
A brief history of the Navy Warfare Testing Program is needed to understand
the full implications of this Pentagon/Navy Warfare Testing Program.
In 2004, the Bush Administration signed a bill weakening U.S. Environmental
Laws (1), with regard to the U.S. Navy. And then in 2008, President
Bush signed an executive order allowing the Navy to be exempt from environmental
laws which protects endangered and threatened species (2-4). The Navy
Southern California Complex was the first one to benefit from this executive
order. Soon other Navy Range Complexes were obtaining exemptions from
the NMFS with little or no oversight or significant mitigation measures
(5).
A partial listing of known Navy Range Complexes (6), shows the amazing
scope of the disaster. According to U.S. Congressman Waxman in a letter
dated March 12, 2009: “…The Navy estimates that its sonar
training activities will “take” marine mammals more than
11.7 million times over the course of a five-year permit…The sonar
exercises at issue would take place off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts,
Hawaii, Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico – affecting literally
every coastal state. In many regions, the Navy plans to increase the
number of training exercises or expand the areas in which they may occur.
Of particular concern are biologically sensitive marine habitats off
our coasts, such as National Marine Sanctuary and other breeding habitats…In
all, the Navy anticipates that its sonar exercises will “take”
marine mammals more than 2.3 million times per year, or 11.7 million
times over the course of a 5-year permit….” This statement
was made in response to public inquiries regarding the Navy Northwest
Training Range schedule for Northern California, Oregon, Washington,
and Idaho.
KTVU Oakland San Francisco Television Station is the only television station
to investigate and air a story about this U.S. Navy program (13), on
May 18, 2009. It took a great deal of courage, in the face of the fact
that no other major television networks would carry this story. A few
courageous radio stations are also helping to get the word out to the
public.
Published
in the United States Federal Register on March 11, 2009:
The United States Navy published an application, as an addendum to their
expanded Warfare Testing program, in the U.S. Federal Register, dated
March 11, 2009. This application from the Navy “…requests
authorization to take individuals of 32 species of marine mammals during
upcoming Navy Warfare testing and training to be conducted in the NWTR
areas (off the Pacific coasts of Washington, Oregon, and northern California)
over the course of 5 years…”
The Navy Warfare Testing Program will “…utilize mid- and high
frequency active sonar sources and explosive detonations. These sonar
and explosive sources will be utilized during Antisubmarine Warfare
(ASW) Tracking Exercises, Mine Avoidance Training, Extended Echo Ranging
and Improved Extended Echo Ranging (EER/IEER) events, Missile Exercises,
Gunnery Exercises, Bombing Exercises, Sinking Exercises, and Mine Warfare
Training…” (More listed in Navy E.I.S.)
The “taking” of marine mammals negatively impacts the entire
ecology of our oceans and the life in them which feeds large numbers
of people and other species around the world. It should be noted that
the list of toxic chemicals that the Navy proposes to use is a long
one as noted in the Navy E.I.S. Depleted uranium, red and white phosphorus,
mercury, lead, and a whole host of chemicals known to be toxic not only
to man, but to marine life, are being served up on the “Navy Warfare
Chemical Menu” that will contaminate our air, water, and soil.
Since all of the Navy Warfare Training Range Complexes have received, or will
receive in the near future, permits to “take” marine mammals
during their respective 5-year warfare training programs the cumulative
and synergistic effects of losing millions of marine mammals will be
disastrous. It is time to say no to any future permits being issued
by the National Marine Fisheries Services. Please feel free to file
protests by the August 12, 2009, deadline National Marine Fisheries
Service (9), regarding the U.S. Navy Environmental Impact Statement
(10).
On May 28, 2009, U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson from California, in a Press
Release to NOAA, made the following statements which could be directed
toward any ocean Navy testing range: “…I am concerned
about the United States Navy’s ability to properly review the
environmental impacts of proposed enhancements in its Northwest Training
Range Complex (NWTRC)… I am particularly concerned that NOAA’s
existing mitigation measures may not be best suited for the protected
marine mammals and endangered salmonids present in the Pacific Northwest…
I am also concerned about proposed changes to current levels of activity
in the NWTRC that focus on training for new aircraft and ship classes
and physical enhancements to the training range. The Navy’s Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) acknowledges that these changes, particularly
those related to its increased use of mid-frequency sonar, are likely
to have measurable impacts on 32 protected marine mammal species known
to inhabit the NWTRC…”
Congressman Thompson continues: “…As the Navy moves forward with plans
to train on new weapons systems, it is essential that NOAA identifies
the environmental impacts of these new aircraft, ships and submarines
– and their accompanying mitigation measures – specifically
with reference to the productive ocean habitats and species that define
the Pacific Coast… I am not aware of any specific elements included
in the evaluation and am concerned that the review will be inadequate
to address the Navy’s EIS with respect to protection of Pacific
Coast ocean ecosystems.
NOAA’s comprehensive review is particularly important given that the Navy has
estimated shipboard visual monitoring for marine mammals – the
most commonly employed sonar mitigation measure – to be effective
only 9% of the time. It is important that NOAA take immediate steps
to validate its comprehensive review of mitigation measures. Specifically,
I request that you provide my office with an outline of the comprehensive
review process and answers to the following questions:
