2012-09-24

WDCS Critical Of Danish Oil Drilling Proposal In The North Sea

WDCS has urged the rejection of an oil drilling proposal that would threaten whales in the North Sea.

In a joint statement with other environmental groups, WDCS’s German office has criticized Danish plans to use ‘air guns’ to inject Co2 into the seabed to flush out remaining oil deposits in the Doggerbank area of the North Sea. This is such an important habitat for harbour porpoises and minke whales that the German section of the Doggerbank is now protected. The Danish section, however, remains unprotected and so WDCS has voiced its concerns to the Danish government that any drilling or use of air guns will create high levels of noise under the water and so impact on the harbour porpoises and minke whales that pass through adjacent German waters.
 
Noise pollution is a threat to whales and dolphins as they live in a world of sound, using it to navigate, communicate and locate food. High levels of noise from drilling and seismic surveys can have potentially harmful effects on whales and dolphins and, in some case, kill them. WDCS is also worried that this Danish proposal will also increase boat traffic in the area, and also reduce their sources of food.
 
The joint statement also criticizes the validity of an environmental impact assessment carried out by the Danish authorities stating that the special conservation status of the harbour porpoise, minke whale have not been taken into account properly and so violate EU law.