January 2008
More Knowledge Better than
More Lawsuits
Dear Friend,
The battle between the U.S. Navy and
the environmental community over the effects of
underwater detection equipment on marine mammals
continue to escalate. Just weeks ago, a California
federal court barred the Navy from conducting sonar
training exercises in an area off the Southern
California coast because of its abundant population of
whales and dolphins.
In a surprise move, President Bush
issued an Executive Order exempting the Navy from having
to comply with the region's major environmental
protection law, which provides states the opportunity
for input on federal activities along their shores. This
law has been used to prevent the use of powerful new
types of sonar that many believe harm whales. In
response, the court changed some of the restrictions on
the Navy. Although this case specifically involves the
use of active sonar in exercises off Southern
California, Hawaii has also faced this issue during the
international RIMPAC ( Rim of the Pacific) naval
exercises.
At the heart of the dispute is a
disagreement over the exact effects sonar has on marine
mammals. Active sonar sends out pulses of sound that
reflect off objects underwater, like submarines. That
echo can tell a surface ship exactly where and how deep
a submarine is and how fast it's moving. Unfortunately,
the sound pulses may also interfere with a whale or
dolphin's hypersensitive sense of hearing. Remember,
these mammals have their own 'sonar' systems, and use
sound pulses to navigate, communicate and find food.
Environmentalists point to mass
beachings of whales in the Bahamas, Canary Islands and
Spain as evidence that sonar can confuse, injure and
even kill the animals. In July 2004, a distressed pod of
between 100 to 200 melon-headed whales crowded into
Kauai's Hanalei Bay while the Navy conducted active
sonar exercises nearby. The Navy argues that there is no
conclusive evidence that sonar harms marine mammals, and
also makes the point that active sonar training is
essential to national security; that the kind of sonar
in question is critical because of new generations of
quieter submarines, and that all practical steps are
being taken to minimize the risk to marine mammals.
Congressman Abercrombie
gets briefed on research programs at the University of
Hawaii's Marine Mammal Institute
I believe the dispute should be
resolved through knowledge and science instead of
lawsuits. I have introduced a bill that will help us
learn more about the problem by establishing a marine
mammal research program admnistered by the Marine Mammal
Commission, an independent agency of the U.S.
government. Grants will fund research to improve our
understanding of marine mammals, especially the impact
of sound and, more precisely, Navy sonar, on these
animals.
The need for expanded research into
marine mammlas has been identified by the National
Research Council, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy
and the Marine Mammal Commission. All recognize
significant gaps in our understanding of marine mammal
science. The only way to fill the gaps is through a
focused, dedicated research program.
The measure also provides flexibility
to address other significant threats to marine mammals,
including entanglement in fishing gear, contaminants,
harmful algal blooms, disease, habitat loss and
environmental change. Understanding more about biology
of these animals will make it easier for federal
agencies to develop conservation and management measures
to allow the military and maritime industries to coexist
with marine mammals. This bill is the first step toward
actually answering the question of how human activities
affect marine mammals, so the kinds of cinflicts in the
courts today can be avoided in the future.
Aloha,
Neil Abercrombie
Member of Congress
