Comments Sought on Regulations to Protect Marine Mammals

NOAA’s Fisheries Service is seeking comments for a proposed rule requiring the United States Navy to implement protective measures during training and testing activities in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, and in the California and Hawaii region, to reduce effects on marine mammals.

The US Navy has requested an authorisation under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, because the mid-frequency sound generated by active sonar, the sound and pressure generated by detonating explosives, and other associated activities may affect the behaviour of some marine mammals, or cause a temporary loss of their hearing sensitivity or other injury.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service recently made a preliminary determination that these effects would have a negligible effect on the species or stocks involved. Based on that preliminary determination, it does not necessarily expect the exercises to result in serious injury or death to marine mammals, and proposes that the Navy use mitigation measures to avoid injury or death.

However, exposure to sonar in certain circumstances has been associated with the stranding of some marine mammals, and some injury or death may occur despite the best efforts of the Navy. Therefore, the proposed authorisation allows for a small number of incidental injuries to marine mammals from sonar, as well as vessel strikes and explosions.

Details for the regulations, which are different for the two areas, can be found online:

• Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico
• California and Hawaii