Dear MARMAM subscribers:
We are pleased to announce the publication of the following correspondence
NATURE:
WHALES: No mass strandings since sonar ban
Antonio Fernandez, Manuel Arbelo, Vidal Martín
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Institute of Animal Health, Veterinary School, Universidad de Las Palmas de
Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña S/N, 35416 Arucas, Las Palmas, Spain. SECAC.
Lanzarote. Spain
SCIENTISTS FROM INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL HEALTH AT UNIVERSITY OF LAS PALMAS DE GRAN
CANARIA AND SECAC LED BY DR. ANTONIO FERNáNDEZ HAVE PUBLISHED CONCLUSIONS ON
CETACEAN STRANDINGS´RESEARCH DONE DURING THE LAST 9 YEARS. CAUSES OF STRANDING
AND DEATH HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED ON EACH STRANDED WHALE AND DOLPHIN IN THE
CANARY ISLANDS.
PROMPT POLITICAL ACTION MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A REMARKABLE CONSERVATION SUCCESS
FOR WHALES AND DOLPHINS. THE CANARY ISLANDS USED TO BE A HOTSPOT FOR MASS
STRANDINGS, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN NO MASS BEACHINGS SINCE THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT
IMPOSED A MORATORIUM ON NAVAL EXERCISES IN THESE WATERS IN 2004.
NAVAL SONAR OPERATIONS HAVE LONG BEEN IMPLICATED IN MASS STRANDINGS,
PARTICULARLY OF BEAKED WHALES (R. FILADELFO /ET AL. AQUAT. MAMM. /35, 435–444;
2009). IN 2002, THE STRANDING OF 14 BEAKED WHALES IN THE CANARY ISLANDS WAS
LINKED TO THE USE OF MID-FREQUENCY NAVAL SONAR IN THE AREA (P. D. JEPSON /ET
AL. NATURE /425, 575–576; 2003). IN 2004, FOUR CUVIER’S BEAKED WHALES (/ZIPHIUS
CAVIROSTRIS/) WERE STRANDED THERE AFTER AN INTERNATIONAL NAVAL EXERCISE (A.
FERNáNDEZ /ET AL. J. MAR. SCI. RES. DEV/. 2, 2; 2012).
THESE EVENTS PROMPTED THE SPANISH MORATORIUM AND LED THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO
ISSUE A NON-BINDING RESOLUTION IN 2004 TO STOP THE DEPLOYMENT OF HIGH-INTENSITY
SONAR UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF A GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF ITS CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ON
MARINE LIFE.
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