For years the US Navy denied that sonar had any part in the increase of whale and dolphin stranding worldwide, even as evidence mounted to pinpoint the use of mid and low frequency sonar as the culprit. To any marine mammal that uses eco-location to find prey—sonar is the loudest, most destructive, disorienting unnatural sound in the sea.
In past years the Navy has ignored court orders to consider the safety of marine life while undergoing their training sessions throughout the Northwest coastal waters, which forced lawsuits from environmental and marine conservation groups.
In September, Earthjustice was successful in getting a protective ruling from Magistrate Judge Nandor Vadas from the District of Northern California. The ruling found that National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) had approved Naval training activities without using best available science to assess the danger to whales, dolphins and other marine mammals in compliance with the Endangered Species Act. Continue to source article