A consortium of environmental groups are suing the National Marine Fisheries Service for approving the U.S. Navy’s five-year training plan in waters off Hawaii and Southern California. The plan includes the use of sonar and explosives that can harm marine mammals. 

Of particular concern, is the effect on dolphins and whales — sonar and live-fire activities have been linked to exploded eardrums, whale beachings and even death. In 2004, Navy sonar was implicated in a mass stranding of up to 200 melon-headed whales in Hanalei Bay on Kauai, according to a press release announcing the lawsuit. 

Earthjustice is representing the Conservation Council for Hawaii, the Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Biological Diversity and Ocean Mammal Institute in the lawsuit.

From a group press release: 

The National Environmental Policy Act requires that a range of alternatives be considered, including alternatives that could be pursued with less environmental harm, and that the public have an opportunity to review and comment on that analysis.  The groups have gone to court because the Fisheries Service approved the Navy’s plan without evaluating any alternatives that would place biologically important areas off-limits to training and testing.

“Live-fire and ocean sonar training harms critically endangered marine mammals like Hawai‘i’s insular false killer whales, which number only about 150 individuals and rely heavily on their acute sense of hearing to survive,” said David Henkin of Earthjustice. “When federally protected species are on the line, the law requires the Fisheries Service to take a hard look at ways to avoid harming them and to involve the public in examining alternative courses of action.”

A video shot by the Center for Whale Research at Washington State details what sonar sounds like and its effect on marine mammals:

Photo: Melon-headed whales swimming in Hanalei Bay. (NOAA)

— Sophie Cocke