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Latest
News
3 August 2001
Greenpeace calls for halt to seismic
testing
Moratorium demanded on oil and gas activities
in Russian Far East
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Moscow - Exxon is illegally conducting seismic tests in the
feeding grounds of the Sakhalin Gray whales in Russian territorial
waters.
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| This testing is threatening the survival of the
already critically endangered Gray whale population. |
Greenpeace is demanding a moratorium on oil and gas activities
conducted in the Gray whale's feeding grounds near Sakhalin pending
further research into the causes in the decrease of the population
of these whales.
The seismic testing involves a series of undersea explosions conducted
off Sakhalin Island in the feeding grounds of the most endangered
population of whales in the world. This seismic survey searching
for undersea gas and oil is to be conducted by a subsidiary of the
Exxon company - ExxonNeftegas. Also other oil companies like Shell
are active in the Sakhalin region and will undertake new seismic
testing in the future.
The western Pacific Gray whales were declared a critically endangered
species last year by the International Union for the Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) after studies by Russian and American scientists
showed that there are less than 100 of these whales and only 12
of them are known to be bearing young.
Many of the whales observed have been emaciated, some with the
outlines of bones showing under their blubber, so called 'skinny'
whales. Any further reduction in their fitness may reduce their
reproductive capability or even cause their death.
"The idea of setting off underwater explosions in the feeding grounds
of these highly endangered whales is outrageous and totally unacceptable,"
said Geert Drieman.
Seismic testing in the feeding grounds of this critically endangered
whale population may compromise their ability to find sufficient
food or may even push them out of their feeding grounds altogether.
"When there are so few of these whales left, the loss of an individual
or the failure to reproduce is absolutely crucial in the determining
whether this population of whales is going to become extinct or
not,” Drieman added.
Based on the current status of this population and
the 'skinny' whales observed the past two years, the Scientific
Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) recommended
in their report, which was adopted last week, that no seismic surveys
take place while the whales are in their feeding grounds.
On July 26 the IWC adopted the position of their Scientific Committee
that "strongly recommends that no seismic work be conducted while
whales are present."
The Sakhalin population of gray whales feed every year during May
to October, and then have no food during their whole trip to the
south and back to Sakhalin from October until May.
During the installation and drilling operations of the Molikpaq
oil platform, the impacts from drilling, oil spills and high levels
of noise drove the Gray whale population to the north, precisely
the site where Exxon renewed seismic testing yesterday.
According to Russian Federal legislation, the seismic activity
is illegal because:
- There was no environmental impact assessment made for the seismic
survey, which must be conducted according to Russian Federal law;
- Any type of industrial activity is forbidden in the places which
are the habitant of species which are in the Red Book of the State
Law on Animal Protection.
In the relation of the points mentioned above Greenpeace Russia
send a letter to the office of Public prosecutor, the Russian government
and Ministry of natural resources.
For more information about other dangerous impacts of new oil
exploration, visit Greenpeace's
climate change site.
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whales | whaling | environmental impacts | solutions | greenpeace & the whales
