The U.S. Navy is planning summer training exercises in the Gulf of Alaska that will take place from April to October for a five-year period. These "war games" will involve use of high-frequency and mid-frequency sonar for submarine exercises, plus a wide variety of live weapons. The Navy admits that their games will negatively impact thousands of marine mammals.
Extremely loud noise from sonar and explosions has the potential to carry for hundreds of miles, disturbing, injuring or even killing marine mammals in its path. The marine mammals that will potentially be affected include blue, fin, sei, minke, sperm, killer, right, gray, and humpback whales, three species of beaked whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, harbor porpoise, Dall's porpoise, sea lions, fur seals, elephant seals, harbor seals, ribbon seals, and sea otters.
The impact of these war games on marine mammals is unacceptable. If the Navy really needs to conduct these exercises, they can do so in the central Pacific ocean, where fewer animals will be harmed and Alaska's rich ecosystem will be undisturbed. Please sign the petition to urge the U.S. Navy to cancel their plans to endanger marine life with war games.
We, the undersigned, are concerned with the Navy's planned training excercises in the Gulf of Alaska, and their impact on marine mammals.
We understand that the Navy is planning summer training exercises in the Gulf of Alaska that will take place from April to October for a five-year period. These "war games" will involve use of high-frequency and mid-frequency sonar for submarine exercises, plus a wide variety of live weapons. As you know, these games will negatively impact thousands of marine mammals.
Extremely loud noise from sonar and explosions has the potential to carry for hundreds of miles, disturbing, injuring or even killing marine mammals in its path. The marine mammals that will potentially be affected include blue, fin, sei, minke, sperm, killer, right, gray, and humpback whales, three species of beaked whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, harbor porpoise, Dall's porpoise, sea lions, fur seals, elephant seals, harbor seals, ribbon seals, and sea otters.
The impact of these war games on marine mammals is unacceptable. If the Navy really needs to conduct these exercises, they can do so in the central Pacific ocean, where fewer animals will be harmed and Alaska's rich ecosystem will be undisturbed. We respectfully urge you to discontinue your plans to endanger marine life with war games. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
