AR-News: UK sonar

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From: liz at marineconnection.org

Subject: Uk sonar
 

UK trials threaten dolphins, whales and other marine wildlife
 
The Marine Connection and Campaign Whale are calling on the Minister of Defence to abandon sonar testing around the UK coastline. Experts from all over the world have condemned the use of high intensity sonar in the marine environment, yet sonar trials are taking place between the 9-14th June 2004, around the Rockall Trenches, 300 miles from the Hebridean coast, Scotland.
 Eight observers have been contracted to carry out the work of spotting any marine mammals in the area which show behavioural change.
 
Sonar 2087 is Britain's entry in the low-frequency race and consists of an array of speakers fastened to a central post which is lowered into the sea, capable of generating well over 200 decibels.  There has been no public hearing with regards to these trials even though the frequency of the sonar broadcast may cause hearing loss and behavioral disruption in marine mammals. Low frequency sonar can travel hundreds and even thousands of miles through oceans at considerable intensities. It is a violation of the Law of the Sea Convention of which the UK is a signatory.
 
"This area is 4,500 metres deep and has 90 species of fish. Blue, Fin,
 Humpback, Minke and Sperm whale have also been recorded in the area along with numerous different species of dolphins, we have no idea of the effect this sonar is going to have on marine life. Dolphins and whales may experience gross damage to ears, damage to body tissue, masking of communication, interference with ability to acoustically interpret their environment, interfering with food finding" says Liz Sandeman of The Marine Connection.
 
Damage to ecosystems has also been identified as a major problem by Australian scientists working in the area who say that fish can be severely impacted as well.  Long term effects caused by sonar are almost impossible to identify.  Many whales who are fatally impacted can sink to the bottom of the ocean, thus ensuring the true death toll cannot be estimated. 
Campaign Whale Director Andy Ottaway said  " The use of high-powered sonar has been linked to the agonising deaths of whales and dolphins around the world and there is more than sufficient  evidence to demonstrate that it poses a significant threat to all marine wildlife. There is little doubt that these military sonar trials will kill or injure untold numbers of whales and dolphins and other marine life. These tests must be stopped" 
The Ministry of Defence is ignoring the Precautionary Principle and a
 massive amount of evidence which indicates how dangerous low frequency sonar deployment is to marine mammals, marine ecosystems and the health of our depleted oceans.
 
Proper public hearings on the impact of this sonar need to be convened as a matter of urgency.
 
EDITORS NOTES:
 For further information call Liz Sandeman on 020 7499 9196.
 
 Information on the impact of sonar can be found at:
http://www.marineconnection.org/campaigns/sonar_sonar.html
http://www.marineconnection.org/news/marine_impacts.html
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