[Mb-civic] CBC News - NOISY OCEANS TAKES TOLL ON WHALES

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NOISY OCEANS TAKES TOLL ON WHALES
WebPosted Tue Nov 22 16:04:45 2005

---More ocean noise from military sonar, shipping, and oil and gas
exploration are threatening marine life, a new report from a U.S.
environmental group says.

Dolphins and whales rely on sound to find food, avoid predators, interact
socially and find mates.

The report by the Natural Resources Defence Council said the mammals can
suffer long-term behavioural changes, hearing loss, bleeding, lesions and
death from ocean noise.

The report follows up on a 1999 study of samples takes from beached
whales suspected of being exposed to navy sonar.

"Military sonar has been linked to dozens of mass strandings of whales
around the world, and oil-and-gas surveys have been shown to damage fish
and dramatically reduce catch rates," the group said.



FROM MAY 8, 2003: U.S. navy sonar blamed for whales' odd behaviour
Researchers suspect whales are suffering from a decompression sickness
similar to "the bends" in humans.

It's thought that sonar may cause whales to surface too quickly or dive
deeper where nitrogen bubbles form in the blood.



FROM JUNE 9, 2003: U.S. navy under fire over sonar test The group is
suing the U.S. navy in the hopes of limiting use of sonar during training
exercises.

The report's authors call for: Technological improvements to reduce sonic
damage. Better monitoring. Stronger enforcement by the National Marine
Fisheries Service. A commitment to international solutions.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Fisheries Service said the agency had not
seen the report and could not comment on it.

No U.S. law or international treaty deals comprehensively with the
problem, according to the environmental group.

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