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Recent report holding the US Navy responsible for whale strandings has raised concern regarding the effect on whales of the Sri Lanka Navy's practice of regularly detonating high explosives in the seas around its bases for over a decade to thwart Tamil Tiger attackers.

Dr. Hiran W. Jayewardene, Secretary General of IOMAC (Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Co-operation) who under NARA spearheaded the start of Sri Lanka's commercial whale watching in the early 1980s at Trincomalee commenting on the report state that he has been well-aware of this issue of noice pollution of the marine environment especially adjacent to Sri Lankan Naval bases during the Tamil secessionist war. International experts had been consulted. Although representations had been made to the defence and Naval authorities from time to time, there was no need to raise a public outcry, as it was a practical problem for the security forces, with no alternative defence mechanism being available to the Navy who indulged in periodic underwater demolitions to protect their naval craft and establishments ashore from underwater saboteurs. Dr. Jayewardene indicated that there had been an appreciable number of reported whale mortalities especially off the south west coast in recent years, but there was nothing conclusive and means to investigate was limited.

According to the recent news report in the Sydney Morning Herald, by James Woodford, Environment Writer (SMH 24, Dec. 2001). A high-level investigation into mysterious mass stranding of whales may offer an insight into why they so regularly beach themselves, and may force changes to way ships use sonar.

For years scientists and conservationists have tried to prove a link between the death of whales and noice pollution - military sonar, explosions, seismic tests for the oil industry and other men-made noises, which may be inaudible to us but deferring to sea creatures.

Until now, efforts to link underwater noice pollution with whale deaths and strandings have been thwarted because whale carcasses decompose quickly.

But on March 15-16 last year whales were washed up on to a beach near the home of the director of the Washington-based Centre for Whale Research. He made sure the remains were well preserved.

A joint report by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Navy says that 17 cetaceans from our species were found stranded within a 36-hour period along a 240-kilometre are in the Northeast and Northwest Providence Channels of the northern Bahamas Islands.

Five whales were given post-mortem examinations. These "were in good body condition, and none showed evidence of debilitating infectious disease, ship strike, blunt contact trauma, or fishery related injuries".

However, haemorrhages were found near the ears. "Pathologists concluded that the haemorrhages occurred before death and would not necessarily have been fatal or have caused permanent hearing loss in terrestrial mammals. However, such haemorrhages - may have compromised hearing or navigational abilities, resulting in disorientation and subsequent stranding."

The report says it is still not understood how the whales were injured by the sonar and more research is required.

"Based on the way in which the strandings coincided with ongoing naval activity involving tactical mid-range frequency sonar use - the investigation team concludes that tactical mid-range frequency sonars aboard US Navy ships .... were the most plausible source of this acoustic or impulse trauma."

The United States Navy has now admitted that sonar emitted from its warships in the Bahamas in March last year contributed to the death of seven whales and the stranding of 10 others.

It is the first time the US Navy has accepted responsibility for such an incident and has resulted in a recommendation that measures be adopted to prevent other mass strandings.

Conservationists in Australia have long been concerned about noice pollution and its impact on marine life. The campaigns director with the Australian Conservation Foundation, John Connor, said seismic testing by mining companies was of particular concern.

"For the whales it's like having a rock concert next door without any planning approvals whatsoever," Mr. Connor said.

"All seismic testing and sonar equipment should have approval from the Commonwealth Environment Minister."

Dr. Hiran Jayewardene said that such measures unleasing massive bursts of sound underwater could affect marine mammals in close proximity to the blasts, and could also lead to changes in behaviourial patterns in the long-term. Further small marine organisms in the vicinity would also have been affected. He was however hopeful that the current ceasefire and peace initiative of the Sri Lanka Government would lead to an early cessation of these practices.

A new comprehensive marine mammal programme was under preparation under an IOMAC initiative with the Ministry of Fisheries & Ocean Resources, and NARA, and would be implemented early in 2002, with the goal of capacity building, regulation, whale watching, research, international collaboration, etc. Dr. Jayawardene said, pointing out that whale-watching was a multi-million dollar business worldwide and he was confident of resuming Sri Lanka's former short-lived glory in the early 1980s as a prime international destination for whale-watchers, and to regain a share of this market. 

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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