Page 3 - 200908 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - August 2009

3 Millions of Sea Mammals to Die 3 Millions of Sea Mammals to Die MILLIONS OF MARINE MAMMALS & OTHER SEA LIFE TO BE DECIMATED DECIMATED MARINE MAMMALS & U.S. Department of Commerce - NOAA We left petitions, color fliers, and information OTHER SEA LIFE TO (NMFS) Definition: "TAKE" Defined about saving our marine mammals, requested a postponement Congressional U.S. and under the MMPA as "harass, hunt, capture, BE DECIMATED kill or collect, or attempt to harass, hunt, Hearings. Ninety-nine senate offices were visited and 2/3 of offices in the U.S. House of capture, kill or collect." Defined under the ESA as "to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, Representatives. The silent response from our By 5-Year U.S. Navy Warfare shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, elected officials regarding these two requests Testing Programs Located in or to attempt to engage in any such conduct." has been zero…one U.S. Congressman even An stated that citizens would be "laughed out of the Taking: Definition: Incidental the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of unintentional, but not unexpected taking halls of the U.S. Congress for suggesting that Mexico (12). we protect our marine mammals". Corporate paid "Lobbyists", who hand out money by the The total number of marine mammals $Millions, on the other hand, are always that will be decimated in the Atlantic, Pacific accepted at hearings, give testimony, and are and the Gulf of Mexico for the next five years is welcomed in the halls of Congress…apparently unknown. The NMFS approvals will have a the voices of citizens of the United States are devastating impact upon the marine mammal not given the same status. populations worldwide and this last Navy These virtually unregulated Navy permit, which is expected to be issued in Warfare Testing Programs already approved are February 2010, for the "taking" of more than now taking a toll on marine mammals, the 11.7 million marine mammals in the Pacific will fishing and ocean tourism industries, and on all be the final nail in the coffin for any healthy aquatic life. Many U.S. Senators and populations of sea life to survive. Congressmen are ignoring these issues by Now with ever-increasing numbers of pretending that they doesn't exist even though permits being issued for sonar programs in more they have been informed in advance of these by Rosalind Peterson than twelve ranges in the Pacific, Gulf of programs. http://newswithviews.com/Peterson/rosalindA.htm Mexico, and the Atlantic regions of the United A brief history of the Navy Warfare States, our marine mammals and other sea life Testing Program is needed to understand the The United States Navy will be decimating are facing complete devastation. When you add full implications of this Pentagon/Navy Warfare millions of marine mammals and other aquatic bomb blasts to this list, warfare testing of all Testing Program. In 2004, the Bush life, each year, for the next five years, under types, future war testing practice, and the toxic Administration signed a bill weakening U.S. their Warfare Testing Range Complex chemicals which are both airborne and to be Environmental Laws (1), with regard to the Expansions in the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Gulf used underwater, there is little chance that most U.S. Navy. And then in 2008, President Bush of Mexico. The National Marine Fisheries marine life will survive in any significant signed an executive order allowing the Navy to Service (NMFS under NOAA), has already numbers. Our U.S. Senators and U.S. be exempt from environmental laws which approved the "taking" of marine mammals in Congressmen refuse to postpone these protects endangered and threatened species (2- more than a dozen Navy Range Warfare Testing disastrous "takings" or hold U.S. Congressional 4). The Navy Southern California Complex Complexes (6), and is preparing to issue Hearings while pretending to be ocean was the first one to benefit from this executive another permit for 11.7 millions marine environment friendly in their re-election order. Soon other Navy Range Complexes were mammals (32 Separate Species), to be speeches. obtaining exemptions from the NMFS with decimated along the Northern, California, Earlier this year, June 8th through June little or no oversight or significant mitigation Oregon and Washington areas of the Pacific 16, 2009, a delegation from Connecticut and measures (5). Ocean (7). California spent time walking the halls of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Continues on Page 4