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We're at COP28 to Save the Whale, Save the World.

We’re at COP28 to save the whale, save the world

Ed Goodall Ed is WDC's head of intergovernmental engagement. He meets with world leaders to...
Gray whales from drone.

We’re taking steps to uncover the mysteries of whales

Vicki James Vicki is WDC's protected areas coordinator, she helps to create safe ocean spaces...
We must protect our non-human allies. Image: Tom Brakefield, aurore murguet, johan63

We’re urging governments to protect all of our climate heroes – CITES

Katie Hunter Katie supports WDC's engagement in intergovernmental conversations and is working to end captivity...
The Natütama Foundation are dedicated to protecting endangered river dolphins. Image: Natutama

Guardians of the Amazon: protecting the endangered river dolphins

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Amazon river dolphins. Image: Fernando Trujillo/Fundacion Omacha

Amazon tragedy as endangered river dolphins die in hot water

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin © Mike Bossley/WDC

WDC in Japan – Part 3: Restoring freedom to dolphins in South Korea

Katrin Matthes Katrin is WDC's communications and campaigns officer for policy & communication in Germany...
Wintery scene in Iceland

Seeking sanctuary – Iceland’s complex relationship with whales

Hayley Flanagan Hayley is WDC's engagement officer, specialising in creating brilliant content for our website...
Whaling ship Hvalur 8 arrives at the whaling station with two fin whales

A summer of hope and heartbreak for whales in Icelandic waters

Luke McMillan Luke is WDC's Head of hunting and captivity. Now that the 2023 whaling season...

Important developments for naval sonar and impacts of pile driving

WDC was pleased to be asked to present at the first public forum (that I know of) on Sea Mammals and Active Sonar Symposium this week. You can see our contribution: sonar_symposium_2015.pdf. This is the first of two big noise developments that I want to mention.

Whilst we are always impatient for developments to mitigate impacts to move more quickly, and for navies to develop more robust planning strategies, it was a very welcome step that European (Norway, Netherlands, UK, France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden) and US Navies gathered to discuss the management measures that they each undertake to protect marine life during military exercises. Such collaboration and focus on robust ways to mitigate behavioural  impacts, as well as injury, is a solid step forward.

Things are less encouraging on the pile driving front. We now have the first calculated evidence of the potential for harbour porpoise populations to be seriously affected by the accumulation of pile driving undertaken to build wind farms by all nations in the North Sea. The report states that the impacts of seismic surveys for oil and gas deposits are of the same order of magnitude as piling to install wind farms.

Impacts for both avoidance (disturbance) and injury have been presented. The results predicted average reduction in the North Sea porpoise population of 23% from 2016 to 2022 under one scenario provided in the scientific report. This study does not consider the additional impacts that porpoises and seals face other than pile driving or seismic surveys, such as those due to pollution, being caught in fishing nets or because of reductions in prey availability.

The UK and devolved governments need to seriously consider this important scientific report – and revise their current marine mammal mitigation policies accordingly. The existing German mitigation measures to reduce the noise at the source (which are much more advanced and precautionary than those adopted in the UK) lead to a major reduction in porpoises that are disturbed. To be able to meet our legal commitments, and to protect porpoises and seals from disturbance and injury, all countries in Europe need to make much more effort to reduce noise pollution at the source when building offshore wind farms – either by not piling or by using source reduction mitigations.  

WDC have continuously raised concerns about the potential impacts of pile driving to porpoises and other species.