Success For Cetaceans In The Moray Firth

We have been informed by the UK's Royal Navy that they did not conduct active sonar operations as part of exercise Joint Warrior within the Moray Firth in Scotland, and that any military activities that did take place in the North Sea were carried out with the intention of avoiding any impact on the cetaceans within the Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The Royal Navy (RN) is understood to have constrained any sonar exercises to outside of 30 miles of the SAC. The Royal Navy has also informed us that its precautionary procedures seek to protect all marine mammals.

Whilst WDCS welcomes the fact that the RN sought to avoid impacting the dolphins within the SAC, we remain concerned as to the potential impact on the cetaceans of the region outside the area of the SAC.

WDCS believes that the same strict protection approach to protecting the dolphins within the SAC extends out to all cetaceans in all UK waters. Whilst the designation of the SAC brings with it management responsibilities within the site, WDCS believes that the level of protection required for the cetaceans does not diminish outside of the site.

WDCS shall be providing comments and analysis to the UKs Ministry of Defence (MOD) to help clarify what responsibilities WDCS believes the EU navies have with respect to protecting whales and dolphins in all European waters.

As a result of your help with this part of the campaign the RN and WDCS are continuing in an active dialogue where we can share our different understandings of what is actually required by our nature protection laws. We want to thank the public for their support in bringing these concerns to the attention of the MOD. Our thanks go also to the RN personnel who helped move us forward in this dialogue.

Joint Warrior (JW) is the largest NATO navy exercise in Europe. It comprises of a series of exercises conducted by warships, submarines and aircraft in the offshore and coastal waters to the northeast, north and northwest of Scotland. We understand that in all, up to 30 ships, three submarines and up to 85 aircraft were scheduled to take part, with the majority of the assets coming from the UK armed forces. The exercise occurs twice a year, every year – and the latest exercise has just been completed.

WDCS has ongoing concerns about the potential impacts of naval activities on marine species, and in particular whales and dolphins. Commercial operators and local residents alike have reported a reduction in sightings of minke whales when naval vessels are in the area. We have further concerns about the potential long-term impacts of Joint Warrior, and other naval exercises that routinely occur in the Minch. The wider cumulative impact of these exercises and other potential disturbance and threats has to be looked at holistically and not in isolation.

WDCS was concerned that part of this latest exercise may be being extended from the west coast of Scotland and into the Moray Firth, home to the vulnerable population of bottlenose dolphins and numerous other protected whales, dolphins, seals and seabirds.

In order to better understand the animals found in the exercise area, and to monitor possible impacts, WDCS has been working with other conservation groups in the field. We have been watching and listening around the coasts of Scotland with a network of observers. We have also been having an intense and constructive dialogue with the UK Ministry of Defence about their activities.

Whilst we remain concerned about potential impacts of naval sonar in general, we are very pleased with this next stage in the campaign. WDCS recognizes that armed forces will carry out exercises to ensure their ongoing effectiveness but WDCS believes this must be done both responsibly and in full compliance with nature protection legislation. WDCS also recognizes that many individual members of the world s navies actually care about the ocean and its wildlife but we shall continue to advocate against the use of any system or practice that we believe is a threat to cetaceans.

Whilst WDCS looks forward to meeting with the UKs Ministry of Defence to discuss ways in which we can work together for the protection of the marine environment, we shall seek to convince them that they need to do more to fully protect cetaceans.

However, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels after this stage of the campaign. We remain concerned about the potential future development of oil and gas exploration and exploitation in the Moray Firth from 2010 onwards - intense noise from seismic surveys and the small chance, but potentially devastating impacts of an oil spill - see our story on the disaster off the coast of Australia to see the damage that such events can cause).

More on how the US Government is addressing this issue.

More on noise energy pollution in our report Oceans of Noise

See our story on the disaster off the coast of Australia to see the damage that such events can cause.

Our thanks go out to everyone that helped with the Joint Warrior Campaign; we could not have done this without you.