By Kirsten Massebeau
Save Whales & Dolphins from Navy Sonar Massacre! By Dawn Marie Groth
The U.S. Navy is seeking authorization to “take” the largest number of whales, dolphins and seals in history.
The term “take,” as defined in Section 3 (16 U.S.C. § 1362 (13)) of the MMPA, means “to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal.” “Harassment” was further defined in the 1994 amendments to the MMPA, which provided two levels of “harassment,” Level A (potential injury) and Level B (potential disturbance). (Section 5)
A record 31 million marine mammals will be injured and killed, at the very least their lives disrupted during Naval training exercises off the Atlantic, Hawaii, and Southern California Coast Range during the 5 year period if the permits are granted.
King Island Tasmania 2009 stranding. Scientists believe that naval sonar from both Australian and US Navy may have been responsible. — Island,Tasmania 2009
“It’s the largest proposed authorization of these levels of harm since such authorizations have been required under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The Navy’s mid-frequency sonar has been implicated in mass strandings of whales and dolphins across the globe. In 2000, 14 beaked whales and several other marine mammals stranded themselves in the Bahamas in response to U.S. Navy vessels operating offshore mid-frequency sonar. Further investigations revealed bleeding around the whale’s ears and brains”.(source)
Picture by Sandy Sullivan taken at Jeremy Point, Wellfleet
In the Atlantic alone 2,599 striped dolphins, 2,203 common dolphins, and 1,854 Atlantic spotted dolphins are slated to be injured and killed (Class A). That is only naming a few of the species that will be killed as a by-product of Naval training. Many other millions of encounters are requested in both the Atlantic permit and the Hawaii Southern California Permit citing (Class B) ranging from harassment to temporary hearing loss as seen in the permit request for the Atlantic Fleet Training and testing area:
Over the 5-year LOA period being requested, the Navy requests 1,735 total Level A harassments and 11,559,236 total Level B harassments for all marine mammals combined for testing activities, excluding ship shock trials.
For one CVN ship shock trial, the Navy’s requests a maximum of 6,591 Level A harassments and 4,607 Level B harassments over the 5-year LOA period. (Source 5.2.1)
Sonar and the explosions created by underwater detonations are deadly to marine mammals. The injuries are painful and death may come slowly as injured and disoriented dolphins and whales flounder for days or weeks in the ocean eventually stranding or dying at sea:
“Many of these beached whales have suffered physical trauma, including bleeding around the brain, ears and other tissues and large bubbles in their organs.
These symptoms are akin to a severe case of “the bends” — the illness that can kill scuba divers who surface quickly from deep water. Scientists believe that the mid-frequency sonar blasts may drive certain whales to change their dive patterns in ways their bodies cannot handle, causing debilitating and even fatal injuries”.(source)
Be a voice for the voiceless! We must insist that the Navy start scaling back their sonar and war games not increasing them. In addition, the Navy’s reliance on people known as “look-outs” to detect marine mammals is unacceptable and inefficient as whales and dolphins spend most of their lives underwater.
What you can do!
Join the event on Facebook Saving Whales and Dolphins from Sonar Navy Massacre!
The two permits now available for comment until March 11, 2013:
1) 2012 U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing Activities (AFTT)
2) 2012 U.S. Navy Hawaii Southern California Training and Testing Activities (HSTT).
United States Citizens Only:
1) Protect Constituents Rights of Appeal on NOAA Marine Mammal Permit Application. The Navy and NOAA/NMFS are trying to take away your right to be a voice for marine mammals. Follow this link the sign the petition.
2) Prohibit Military Sonar and Seismic Testing Harming Marine Mammals. Sign the petition
Champions for Cetaceans 
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How can we sign this petition when the site asks for a zip code, and people outside the usa don’t have zip codes.
The petition may only be for U.S. Citizens.
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Yes, it is happening all year long. Naval movements can be followed somewhat by searching for Naval update maps.
Eva thanks for that BUT it’s fairly delusional to think that whales are protected by ANYONE, including the formerly illustrious Sea Shepherd who, since the inception of ‘Whale Wars’ reality tv in 2009, is FAR more about staged drama and NOT about ‘saving whales.’ If they WERE about saving whales, they would focus millions of their dollars on a massive public-awareness campaign on the REAL GLOBAL THREATS to cetaceans that make the Japanese whalers and fishermen (The Cove) look like sand-flies compared to the COLOSSUS BEHEMOTH JUGGERNAUT of the US Navy, ‘big oil’ and the international banking cartel who owns them, as well asa the entire military-industrial complex who does their bidding. Life as we know her is in their sites and Mothership Earth is now both target and weapon. Read my recent ‘comment’ to NOAA:
“Many people are aware of the totally fraudulent nature of the entire
process of applying for and being granted ‘permits’ to ‘take’ millions
of marine mammals. Nothing is going to stop the US Navy and other
military organiztions from doing the bidding of their masters, i.e.,
‘big oil’, global energy and resource extraction corporations, and the
international banking cartel; the treads of this parasitic planetary
juggernaut roll over and exterminate countless life-forms every day in
an increasingly automated war on life as we know her…on the only
planet we know who has life. In the unlikely event that this comment
is being read by a person, a ‘human’ being, as opposed to being
processed by pattern-recognition software, I urge you to question your
‘humanity’ at being involved in this insane murderous process and to
consider the extremely bad karma you are helping to precipitate on
yourself and our species. Time is running out and every single thing
each of us does or does not do matters a great deal. Many of us sense
a ‘mega shit storm’ coming a lot sooner than we might think, and the
Hopi tell us that only ‘the people of one heart’ will survive to carry
on as the ‘seeds’ of the ‘new creation.’ Do YOU personally want to be
part of the extinction of life on Earth, the brutal and technological
murder of the highest beings who exist? YOU be the judge of your
actions, YOU bear the consequences. Thanks for listening.”
SEA SHEPHERD IS EVERY DAY BUSY?
EVERY DAY , EVERY YEAR , EVERLASTING…………..
ANTI JAPANESE WHALING CAMPAIGN?
I think it would be great if SSCS could get on board and take sometime to oppose the Navy and their proposed 31 million “takes” of marine mammals over the 5 year period.
KIRSTEN…SSCS and Paul Watson are HUGE FRAUDS. They are staging fake ‘reality tv’ dramas in a whale sanctuary year after year. I HAVE PERSONALLY QUESTIONED THEM FOR YEARS, IN PERSON, TOO, ABOUT WHY THEY NEVER NEVER NEVER EVEN MENTION THE REAL GLOBAL THREATS TO CETACEANS FROM SEISMIC TESTING AND NAVAL SONARS. THE ANSWER IS CLEAR: THEY ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM, AND THEY ARE LIARS IN THE ORWELLIAN SENSE: ‘OMISSION IS THE GREATEST FORM OF LYING.’ GEORGE ORWELL WATSON, SSCS, EARTHRACE, LOUIS PSIHOYOS OF ‘THE COVE’ AND MANY MORE ‘ENVIRONMENTAL CAPITALISTS’ ARE ON THE PAYROLL OF BIG OIL AND THE MILITARY…BEING PAID OFF TO STAY SILENT ON THE REAL THREATS FROM MILITARY INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY AS WELL AS TO DIVERT ATTENTION TO FAKE DRAMAS AND PUT THE BLAME ON EASILY DEMONIZABLE PEOPLE WITH FACES…THE JAPANESE…BUT THEY ARE PLAYERS IN REALITY TV, TOO…AND KEEP THE HEAT OFF NAVY AND ‘BIG OIL.’ DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, WHO HOSTS ‘WHALE WARS’ ALSO HOSTS THE MILITARY CHANNEL. BANK OF NEW YORK HAS EXTENSIVE FINANCIAL CONTROL OF BOTH DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS AS WELL AS THE JAPANESE WHALING FLEET. SSCS AND OTHER ‘BIG ENVIROS’ WILL NEVER SPEAK THE TRUTH ABOUT ANY OF THIS. IT WOULD MEAN THE END OF THEIR GREATEST SOURCES OF INCOME. THEY ARE ALL LIARS AND FRAUDS. LISTEN TO MY RADIO SHOW TOMORROW…I TALK ABOUT ALL THIS.
jeffwefferson, is it really to your advantage to make your comment a great effort to read? It’s bad etiquette to type in all caps (it’s like shouting) and it is harder to read solid walls of text in all-caps. It’s especially hard for people with dyslexia (like my father), who assumed that since you had such bad netiquette as to type a wall of text in ALL CAPS, that you probably don’t have anything worthwhile to say. He skipped your comment and I had to bring it to his attention.
Grow up and learn how to use paragraphs, please. (Not that I’m such a good example)
I suspect that the reason that this permit is being sought is to bring conflict between environmentalists and the military. That sort of scenario would only benefit hard-right Republicans because a vast majority of Americans believe that all environmentalists and animal protection advocates are Democrats and that supporters of troops and veterans are Republicans. This is, of course, a false belief, but it’s easy to see how this would play out politically. It’s a “divide and conquer” tactic.
I PUT THE HEAT ON WATSON IN 2009 AFTER DONATING A PAINTING TO THEM THAT RAISED OVER $2000 FOR SSCS, BEFORE I KNEW BETTER. THE ABSOLUTE WATSON COULD MUSTER WAS THE COMMENT, ‘SURE, THE NAVY IS IN THE BUSINESS OF KILLING WHALES AND DOLPHINS.’ PERIOD.
It is no mans right to kill indiscriminately, …harmless creatures. Period..
Certainly not the US Navys, or any Government. S T O P T H E M.
YOU ARE PAYING FOR THEM TO DO ALL THIS EVERY TIME YOU BUY PETROL AND PAY AN ILLEGAL FEDERAL INCOME TAX TO AN ILLEGAL IRS.
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I learned from a friend who was a sonar tech that the sonar on the ship we were on would be lethal if I was in the water within 100 Yards of the ship when it was transmitting. This was back in 1976. Not something the Military would want the public to know. This explains a lot about all the injured Cetaceans over the past few years.
I wonder just how much more this “Dead Zone” extends now with the more powerful modern Sonar Systems. Have a listen here to one from 2009.
http://killerwhaletales.blogspot.com
Thanks for your informative comment Russel! We need to keep the conversation going and keep the information coming out on this important issue.
If you you didn’t already know Navy … Whales are under protection world wide. What gives you the right to destroy what’s left of them? Why do you propose war against these innocent creatures? Haven’t you doen enough damage on this planet? Enough is enough!
I just got some good news from a friend in the States regarding this issue. Here is what she wrote. “And Eva, here is the reality. via Dana Roeber Murray 19 minutes ago I have great news to share from the Coastal Commission meeting today! After hours of public comment today, and following decades of the Navy dismissing and ignoring any mitigation requirements made by the Commission regarding sonar and explosion practices and the impacts on marine mammals, the Commission UNANIMOUSLY voted to object to and reject the Navy’s consistency permit! They sent a strong message to the Navy saying “you need to come back with a robust plan to protect our marine animals.” Avoiding Marine Protected Areas was also a key message echoed by the commissioners. I have to tell you, this is a good day for the oceans. I am proud of our Coastal Commission for standing up to the Navy…..”
Thanks for that BUT it’s fairly delusional to think that whales are protected by ANYONE, including the formerly illustrious Sea Shepherd who, since the inception of ‘Whale Wars’ reality tv in 2009, is FAR more about staged drama and NOT about ‘saving whales.’ If they WERE about saving whales, they would focus millions of their dollars on a massive public-awareness campaign on the REAL GLOBAL THREATS to cetaceans that make the Japanese whalers and fishermen (The Cove) look like sand-flies compared to the COLOSSUS BEHEMOTH JUGGERNAUT of the US Navy, ‘big oil’ and the international banking cartel who owns them, as well asa the entire military-industrial complex who does their bidding. Life as we know her is in their sites and Mothership Earth is now both target and weapon. Read my recent ‘comment’ to NOAA:
“Many people are aware of the totally fraudulent nature of the entire
process of applying for and being granted ‘permits’ to ‘take’ millions
of marine mammals. Nothing is going to stop the US Navy and other
military organiztions from doing the bidding of their masters, i.e.,
‘big oil’, global energy and resource extraction corporations, and the
international banking cartel; the treads of this parasitic planetary
juggernaut roll over and exterminate countless life-forms every day in
an increasingly automated war on life as we know her…on the only
planet we know who has life. In the unlikely event that this comment
is being read by a person, a ‘human’ being, as opposed to being
processed by pattern-recognition software, I urge you to question your
‘humanity’ at being involved in this insane murderous process and to
consider the extremely bad karma you are helping to precipitate on
yourself and our species. Time is running out and every single thing
each of us does or does not do matters a great deal. Many of us sense
a ‘mega shit storm’ coming a lot sooner than we might think, and the
Hopi tell us that only ‘the people of one heart’ will survive to carry
on as the ‘seeds’ of the ‘new creation.’ Do YOU personally want to be
part of the extinction of life on Earth, the brutal and technological
murder of the highest beings who exist? YOU be the judge of your
actions, YOU bear the consequences. Thanks for listening.”
US Navy please don’t do this to the only remaining marine wildlife left in this world. Their numbers are dwindling and the killing will be massive. Please rethink this.
Awful, but since is US Government, it figures as it doesnt care aboit Gods creatures and ecosystems and environment.
Fabulous. Thanks for all you do to educate the world!
Thanks for the information!
Great post Kirsten
Thanks so much MQ! That means alot coming from you!
kirsten…GOOD ON YOU for this…well-done. Am working over-time to make the connection with oil/hydro-carbons and the war on cetaceans…see this excellent interview with William Engdahl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhwiS5RQhTI
Thanks Jeff! Great work on your part putting together the connection. Thanks so much for sharing the info!
This is horrendous! The U.S. simply CANNOT allow this massacre!
The US Navy doesn’t need a permit to do this…the ‘permit’ is just a psychological warfare aspect of it to destroy our minds and spirits by knowing they are doing it on purpose. NO PETITION IS GOING TO STOP THIS…THE US MILITARY WORKS FOR ‘BIG OIL’ AND THE INTERNATIONAL BANKING CARTEL. The ‘war on terrror’ serving as the justification for the revolution in military activity is a HOAX and a cover for the WAR ON LIFE AS WE KNOW HER on this planet. Listen to my radio show here: NEW ZEALAND CETACEANS, ANADARKO PETROLEUM, HAARP, THE CHRISTCHURCH QUAKE AND COVERT WARFARE https://soundcloud.com/jeff-chakra/on-the-brink-14-new-zealand