 (Positive News) "(The ruling) confirms that, during sonar testing and training, the Navy can and must protect whales and other marine life in the extraordinarily rich waters off our Southern California coast," NRDC lawyer Joel Reynolds said.
A Positive Whale Tale
Positive News
JANUARY 03, 2008LOS ANGELES, CAWildlife groups claimed that whales don't want to be exposed to the Navy's powerful sonar. And in August a federal judge agreed.
Judge Florence-Marie Cooper has banned the Navy from using high-power sonar during exercises in the Pacific, ruling the sound can hurt whales and other marine mammals. She issued a temporary injunction, after the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed suit on behalf of the sea creatures in March claiming the Navy did not do enough environmental testing of the equipment.
The NRDC says using the mid-frequency sonar in an ocean thick with marine life can cause mammals to beach themselves and behave in other harmful ways. The sonar is used in Navy training to detect underwater objects such as sub marines.
"(The ruling) confirms that, during sonar testing and training, the Navy can and must protect whales and other marine life in the extraordinarily rich waters off our Southern California coast," NRDC lawyer Joel Reynolds said.
The NRDC filed a similar suit in Hawaii, where a court ordered the Navy to implement measures to protect whales before proceeding with its exercises.
Contact:
Natural Resources Defense Council: www.nrdc.org
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