Threats to Marine Animals & Conservation

[Lisbeth]

Reprieve for whales at risk from oil platform

http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?211653/R ... l-platform

Gland, Switzerland: In a victory for conservationists, an oil platform planned near the habitat of a critically endangered whale population has been postponed for at least five years.

A decision about development plans for the offshore Sakhalin-II drilling platform has been deferred by the Sakhalin Energy consortium, according to the western gray whale expert panel report.

Concerns had been raised over the platform’s potential impact on western north Pacific gray whales, of which only an estimated 150 animals remain. WWF and other organizations have campaigned to stop the platform from being built by targeting both the oil company and the banks that are the main investors to the project, and see this as a successful outcome.

“Sakhalin Energy has delayed until 2017 its decision about building an additional oil platform, meaning the whales are safe at least until 2020. This gives us more time to convince the company that the project should be stopped for good,” said Aleksey Kniznikov, Oil and Gas Programme Coordinator of WWF-Russia.

The Sakhalin-II platform was set to be built near the whales’ summer feeding ground in the Russian Far East where two other instillations already exist. WWF feared that increasing underwater noise pollution from construction and operation of the structure could drive the animals away. Gray whales have bad eyesight and rely on their highly sensitive hearing to find food. Additionally, oil spills in the frigid sub-Arctic waters are difficult to clean up and could be catastrophic for wildlife.

“These extraordinary animals and their newborn calves must consume enough food during the summer to last them on their lengthy migration,” Kniznikov said. “This place that is so critical to the whales was put at even further risk by oil and gas prospectors, but the whales have won for now.”

“Unfortunately another development in the area is now cause for concern,” said Kniznikov. “Exxon Neftegas Limited is planning to construct a temporary pier in the whales’ habitat, which could disrupt their feeding area.”

WWF is urging the operator to abandon plans for the pier and to use an alternative way to deliver cargo on shore.

Across the globe the world’s most extraordinary places and rare species are coming increasingly under threat from oil and gas exploration activities. Even World Heritage Sites like the Great Barrier Reef and Virunga National Park are not safe. WWF believes that divestment from dirty fossil fuels and a switch to 100% renewable energy is needed to ensure a healthy future for the planet.

[Flutterby]

A bit of good news for the whales...for now!

[nan]

good news

[Flutterby]

The Whales Have Won! — ICJ Rules Japan’s Southern Ocean Whaling ‘Not For Scientific Research’

March 31, 2014


Sea Shepherd Applauds the World Court for Protecting the Whales of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary

In a stunning victory for the whales, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague announced their binding decision today in the landmark case of Australia v. Japan, ruling that Japan’s JARPA II whaling program in the Antarctic is not for scientific purposes and ordering that all permits given under JARPA II be revoked. The news was applauded and celebrated by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society USA and Sea Shepherd Australia, both of which have directly intervened against Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean.

Representing Sea Shepherd in the courtroom to hear the historic verdict were Captain Alex Cornelissen, Executive Director of Sea Shepherd Global and Geert Vons, Director of Sea Shepherd Netherlands. They were accompanied by Sea Shepherd Global’s Dutch legal counsel.

The case against Japan was heard by the ICJ in July of last year to decide whether Japan is in breach of its international obligations in implementing the JARPA II “research” program in the Southern Ocean, and to demand that Japan cease implementation of JARPA II and revoke any related permits until Japan can make assurances that their operations conform with international law.

In a vote of 12 to 4, the ICJ ruled that the scientific permits granted by Japan for its whaling program were not scientific research as defined under International Whaling Commission regulations. It ordered that Japan revoke the scientific permits given under JARPA II and refrain from granting any further permits under that program.

Prior to the verdict, there had been some speculation that the ICJ would not permit the hunting of endangered fin and humpback whales, but it would compromise and allow the hunting of minke whales. However, it has been Sea Shepherd’s contention all along that — no matter the species — no whales should be killed, especially in a sanctuary. Sanctuary means “a place of refuge or safety; a nature reserve” where animals are protected. To allow killing in an internationally designated sanctuary is to make a mockery of international agreements made by those countries who established the sanctuary in 1994. At that time, 23 countries supported the agreement and Japan was the only IWC member to oppose it.

Even the Ambassador from Japan to the U.S., Kenichiro Sasae, during a public meeting in Los Angeles in December 2013 attended by representatives of Sea Shepherd USA, had this to say about whales and whaling: ”As an individual, I like whales and if you go out and see the whales, there is no reason for us to kill this lovely animal. But it’s history and it’s politics, I would say. There are a small number of Japanese people still trying to get this won. But mainstream Japanese are not eating whale anymore.” At the same meeting, Ambassador Sasae stated that Japan will abide by the ICJ ruling.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s international volunteer crew stood on the frontlines in the hostile and remote waters of Antarctica for eight years and then Sea Shepherd Australia took up that gauntlet for the last two years and will keep confronting Japanese whalers in Antarctica until we can once and for all bring an end to the killing in this internationally designated “safety zone” for whales. Over the years, Sea Shepherd has been the only organization to directly intervene against Japan’s illegal commercial whaling conducted under the guise of research, with their claims of research globally questioned. Indeed, Sea Shepherd has been the only thing standing between majestic whales and the whalers’ harpoons, as these internationally protected species — many of them pregnant — migrate through Antarctic waters each year.

“With today’s ruling, the ICJ has taken a fair and just stance on the right side of history by protecting the whales of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and the vital marine ecosystem of Antarctica, a decision that impacts the international community and future generations,” said Captain Alex Cornelissen of Sea Shepherd Global.

“Though Japan’s unrelenting harpoons have continued to drive many species of whales toward extinction, Sea Shepherd is hopeful that in the wake of the ICJ’s ruling, it is whaling that will be driven into the pages of the history books,” he said.

“Despite the moratorium on commercial whaling, Japan has continued to claim the lives of thousands of the gentle giants of the sea in a place that should be their safe haven,” said Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson. “Sea Shepherd and I, along with millions of concerned people around the world, certainly hope that Japan will honor this ruling by the international court and leave the whales in peace.”

Sea Shepherd Global will have the ships prepared to return to the Southern Ocean in December 2014 should Japan choose to ignore this ruling. If the Japanese whaling fleet returns, Sea Shepherd crew will be there to uphold this ruling against the pirate whalers of Japan.

[nan]

ya, I heard that on the radio... one hour ago

[Lisbeth]

Posted on 31 March 2014 |
Gland, Switzerland – The International Court of Justice ruled today that Japan should immediately cease all whaling activities under its current scientific programme JARPA II. The decision is a major victory for whale protection efforts and a clear call for the end of hunting in the Southern Ocean.

The judgement in favour of Australia in the case against what Japan calls ‘scientific whaling’ came in a near unanimous ruling announced by the UN’s highest court. The ruling upholds Australia’s claim that Japanese whaling under its JARPA II program is in breach of its obligations under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.

“The decision of the court will finally allow the purpose of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary to be fulfilled,” said Aimée Leslie, Global Cetacean and Marine Turtle Manager for WWF International. “Protecting whales in the Southern Ocean is essential to maintaining healthy whale populations around the world.”

In the ruling, the court determined that Japan’s programme was not designed to reach its stated objectives and that the special permits granted by Japan in connection to its whaling in the Southern Ocean are not for scientific research.

“Japan shall revoke any extant authorization, permit or licence granted in relation to JARPA II, and refrain from granting any further permits in pursuance of that programme,” said Judge Peter Tomka in reading the decision.

As a result of the ruling, the Japanese government must end all whaling under their current programme in the Southern Ocean. The court’s decision is binding and cannot be appealed.

“The ruling of the court deserves to be celebrated and demands to be observed,” says Ghislaine Llewellyn, Conservation Manager for WWF-Australia. “Finally the unnecessary killing of whales in this critical whale feeding ground will stop.”

The Australian government initiated legal proceedings against Japan in 2010. The case alleged that scientific whaling by Japan is a violation of the country’s treaty obligations under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling as well as other international obligations for the preservation of marine mammals and the marine environment.

Commercial whaling was banned worldwide in 1986. The Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica was declared a whale sanctuary eight years later. Despite these protections, Japan has hunted over 10,000 whales in the Southern Ocean since the moratorium was put in place.

“Today the world court decision has made the case for the enforcement of global agreements that protect biodiversity for generations to come,” added Leslie.

In addition to whaling, Southern Ocean whales are under threat by commercial fishing of prey species, noise pollution, chemical spills, ship strikes, and climate change. The uncertainty around Southern Ocean whale population numbers increases the importance of a precautionary approach to their management.

http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?218836/W ... ean-whales

[Dewi]

[nan]

for Japon

now still some in the North

[Lisbeth]

Conservationists are particularly worried about the North Atlantic right whale, a species verging on extinction.


A North Atlantic right whale trawls with open mouth along the surface. It's food supply could be jeopordized by seismic airgun blasts.
PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN J. SKERRY, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

BY SARAH GIBBENS

PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 30, 2018

Five oil and gas companies have been given the green light to use seismic airgun blasts to search for lucrative oil and gas deposits that could be buried in the sea floor from New Jersey to Florida.

The proposal was shot down by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in 2017 after it was deemed unsafe for marine life, but a recent review by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concluded the blasts could be done without significantly threatening the population status of threatened or endangered species. The basis of NOAA's investigation was to determine whether or not the activity would violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Large marine mammals like whales and dolphin use sound for communicating, feeding, and mating, meaning the blasts could impact all three of those essential activities.

The blasts could potentially harm commercial fishing, but conservationists are particularly concerned about critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which only about 450 remain.

To mitigate impact to wildlife, NOAA says seismic blasts will not be allowed from November to April in certain regions of the Atlantic where North Atlantic right whales are known to migrate. Additionally, boats conducting seismic operations will be required to have a NOAA observer on board to monitor incidental take.

During a press call, biologist Benjamin Laws from the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources said observers will notify when whales are in the vicinity and that blasts will not be allowed within 56 miles (90 kilometers) of endangered marine mammals.

Diane Hoskins from Oceana says this won't be enough to protect the species, noting that the sound from these intense blasts can travel over 2,000 miles.

Laws says NOAA's decision to grant incidental take authorizations also considered whether species that marine mammals rely on for prey would be impacted. They determined the blasts wouldn't be so detrimental that they might impact how much food is available.

A study published last summer found the smallest members of the oceanic food chain can be killed by seismic air blasts. Zooplankton—tiny creatures like baby jellyfish, crustaceans, and larvae—were found to have declined by 64 percent within 4,000 feet of the blast.

In addition to risks posed for wildlife, environmentalists are concerned that the seismic blasts are opening the door to oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean, which is highly controversial. This past November, Florida banned offshore drilling, a move that's in step with 300 municipalities and 2,000 local officials who have formally opposed offshore drilling.

Seismic airguns were last used in the region to search for oil in the 1980s and since then have only been used in the northern Atlantic for academic research. Permits, however, are regularly reviewed for exploration in the Gulf of Mexico and off the west coast.

Legal challenges may ensue as companies eye offshore drilling spots.

“The Atlantic Coast could be turned from beach towns to oil towns,” says Hoskins. “We're going to look at every available tool to fight this.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/envi ... 03348937=1

[Klipspringer]

https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa ... s-26149647


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WESTERN CAPE / 13 JUNE 2019, 4:01PM / SCOTT RAMSAY