To: Michael Payne, Chief of the Permits and Conservation Division, OPR-NMFS
Stop Seismic Surveys in the Arctic!
Stop the Seismic Survey disruptions in the Arctic!
Why is this important?
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is poised to authorize “Incidental Harassment Permits” to ION Geophysical to trawl huge arrays of seismic airguns through the Chukchi and Beaufort Arctic Seas.
ION’s survey would result in harassment takes of a large number of marine mammals, in violation of the “small numbers” requirement of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NMFS proposes to authorize the disruption of the behavior of over 250 bowhead whales, almost 5,000 beluga whales, and over 60,000 seals.
NMFS admits that animals will suffer permanent hearing loss (also termed permanent threshold shift “PTS”), but justifies the activities with a series of unsubstantiated assumptions about the duration of exposure, and animals ability to escape injury.
ION proposes using two towed arrays consisting of 26 active airguns with a total discharge volume of 4,450 cubic inches. They propose subjecting 80,970 mi2 (209,752 km2) of pristine Arctic habitat to airgun noise in excess of 160dB (re: 1µPa).
We know that foraging and migration disruptions occur at much lower levels, and that stress in the extreme Arctic environment compromises the health and reproductive success of all marine life.
These surveys are the preamble to a fossil fuel Klondike in the Arctic and must be halted.
Please join us in our petition to the National Marine Fisheries Service deny authorization of this reckless proposal.
Signatures must be in by the close of business on Monday September 17!
ION’s survey would result in harassment takes of a large number of marine mammals, in violation of the “small numbers” requirement of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NMFS proposes to authorize the disruption of the behavior of over 250 bowhead whales, almost 5,000 beluga whales, and over 60,000 seals.
NMFS admits that animals will suffer permanent hearing loss (also termed permanent threshold shift “PTS”), but justifies the activities with a series of unsubstantiated assumptions about the duration of exposure, and animals ability to escape injury.
ION proposes using two towed arrays consisting of 26 active airguns with a total discharge volume of 4,450 cubic inches. They propose subjecting 80,970 mi2 (209,752 km2) of pristine Arctic habitat to airgun noise in excess of 160dB (re: 1µPa).
We know that foraging and migration disruptions occur at much lower levels, and that stress in the extreme Arctic environment compromises the health and reproductive success of all marine life.
These surveys are the preamble to a fossil fuel Klondike in the Arctic and must be halted.
Please join us in our petition to the National Marine Fisheries Service deny authorization of this reckless proposal.
Signatures must be in by the close of business on Monday September 17!