Press release - January 15, 2015
Beach users in the upper North Island are being urged to keep a close eye out for whales and dolphins in trouble this summer.
Greenpeace says marine mammals may be affected by seismic testing for deep sea oil which started off Northland’s west coast in December and will continue for several months.
Volunteers are distributing hundreds of posters (1) to beach communities encouraging people to report sightings of distressed, stranded or dead whales and dolphins immediately to the Department of Conservation Hotline (0800 HOT DOC). DOC is responsible for post mortems on marine mammals found between New Plymouth and Northland this summer to see if acoustic trauma was a factor (2).
Greenpeace campaigner Steve Abel says evidence from marine scientists around the world suggests that seismic testing may be bad for whales and dolphins and other ocean life.
“There is a serious lack of research on the impacts on New Zealand populations. Looking long-term, it’s believed seismic testing could have chronic impacts on their behaviour and ability to navigate, feed, nurture young and find mates (3),” he says.
“In extreme cases, evidence (4,5) indicates it could also injure and disorientate them, leading to stranding and even death.
“The likelihood of injured or dead dolphins or whales washing up is relatively low at any time but by reporting any sightings immediately there’s a chance of saving them or finding out what got them into trouble in the first place.”
Seismic testing is the first step of oil exploration. It is done from a ship firing off repeated sound blasts every few seconds, day and night sometimes over weeks or months.
The blasts, created by large underwater air guns, generate a pressure wave that penetrates the seafloor and the reflected sound waves are then recorded by an array of sensors dragged on long cables after the ship. The seismic explosions can be heard over 100kms away.
Last month Greenpeace helped scientists to monitor the noise and possible impacts of seismic testing on marine mammals off the Northland coast. Early analysis indicates there were sperm whales, pilot whales and common dolphins in the area, but it will be a few months before more detailed data can be released.
“The New Zealand government should have done its own research on the impacts of seismic testing before it started giving permits out to big oil companies to start working here,” says Abel.
“New Zealanders do not want big oil companies here drilling for deep sea oil and putting our environment and economy at risk.”
The Aquila Explorer is currently doing seismic testing for Statoil and several other companies in the Reinga Basin. It is well out of range of swimmers and boaties as it is operating many kilometres off-shore.
Notes to Editor;
1) The poster can be viewed here; https://www.facebook.com/greenpeace.nz/photos/a.417987320774.213959.11870725774/10152922493870775/?type=1
or a PDF can be downloaded from here; https://greenpeace.box.com/s/bhuff822lnboc84eyeku
2) TGS Marine Mammal Impact Assesment 2014 Page 5: http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/conservation/marine-and-coastal/mmia/tgs-nopec-basins-mmia.pdf
3) A review of research on seismic impacts on marine species and other potentially damaging impacts on behaviour such as feeding, nurturing and mating of whales and dolphins: http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/mar/mcbem-2014-01/other/mcbem-2014-01-submission-seismic-airgun-en.pdf
4) A 2007 report to the UK Department of Trade and Industry shows a large seismic array has a lethal range underwater of seven metres and an injury range of 53 metres: http://www.subacoustech.com/information/downloads/reports/565R0212.pdf .
5) 2011 Published research regarding a dolphin apparently badly injured and subsequently sinking and likely to asphyxiate due to seismic airgun exposure.