Save the whales

[beanster]

lengthy posting but it has all the info and links
There is an emerging threat to whales that demands your immediate action.

The U.S. Navy wants to put a testing ground for lethal mid-frequency sonar
along the migratory path of highly endangered northern right whales, off the
coast of North Carolina.

Please act today to protect the whales and other marine life of this offshore
refuge from a year-round barrage of deadly, ear-splitting noise.

Go to http://www.savebiogems.org/whales/takeaction.asp?step=2&item=53246
and urge the Navy to consider less sensitive locations for its sonar training
range.

As the site of more than 160 exercises annually, the Navy's proposed testing
range would create a 500-square-mile hub of year-round sonar activity and other
intense underwater noise. The range would lie along the migratory route of
endangered right whales, fewer than 400 of which are believed to exist today.

Just one year ago, 37 whales of three different species beached themselves on
the shores of the Outer Banks, near the proposed testing range, following Navy
sonar exercises in the area. Scientists have linked the use of high-intensity
sonar to numerous other mass strandings of whales around the globe, from the
Bahamas to the Canary Islands to Japan. Yet, incredibly, the Navy's analysis of
its proposed testing range does not even mention, much less thoroughly examine,
this stranding.

Beached whales have been found bleeding around their brains and ears after
encounters with this lethal technology.

Military sonar may also be interfering with the ability of these majestic
creatures to locate food, avoid predators and mate.

Please go to http://www.savebiogems.org/whales/takeaction.asp?step=2&item=53246
and tell the Navy to carefully consider all the alternatives before proceeding
with sonar exercises in this spectacular whale habitat.

Or, to make an even bigger impact, compose your own letter -- using the points
in our standard letter -- and mail or fax it no later than January 30 to:

Keith Jenkins
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic
Mail Code EV21KJ
6506 Hampton Boulevard
Norfolk, VA 23508
Fax: 757-322-4894

Thank you for help

 

[Babar Ali]

The urgent call to protect whales and other marine life from the Navy's proposed testing range is something we must all take seriously. The plan to deploy lethal mid-frequency sonar along the migratory path of the highly endangered northern right whales off the coast of North Carolina is not only a threat to these whales but to the entire marine ecosystem.

The Navy's proposed 500-square-mile testing range would be subjected to year-round sonar activity and intense underwater noise, which could disrupt the lives of not only right whales—of which fewer than 400 are left—but also other species of whales, including humpback, sperm, and beluga whales. As documented in past incidents, sonar exercises have been linked to the mass strandings of whales and have been found to cause bleeding in their brains and ears. This is not just a localized problem; it is a global issue. From the Bahamas to Japan, mass strandings have been tied to the use of high-intensity sonar, yet this issue was not adequately addressed in the Navy’s analysis.

Whales are incredibly important to marine ecosystems. They help maintain healthy ocean environments, which in turn sustain biodiversity. Orcas and narwhals, for instance, also face disruptions from underwater noise pollution, as it affects their ability to communicate, find food, and even reproduce. The proposed testing area would interfere with their natural behaviors in ways that we can hardly predict, and it could result in irreversible harm to their populations.

It is crucial that we demand the Navy reconsider the location of this testing ground, or better yet, find alternative ways to conduct these exercises without risking the lives of these majestic creatures. We cannot allow this to happen, especially when the consequences could be catastrophic for species that are already teetering on the brink of extinction.

The public’s voice can make a difference. Please take action today and urge the Navy to choose a less sensitive location for its sonar exercises. By following the link to the petition and voicing our concerns, we can help protect the rights of marine life and the sanctity of their natural habitats.

Thank you for your continued commitment to ensuring that whales and other marine animals are treated with the respect and protection they deserve.