Federal science panel severely downplays effects of oil and gas development on marine mammals

February 24, 2004 - VANCOUVER – A leading Canadian whale biologist says the panel that examined whether the moratorium on oil and gas development should be lifted completely ignored the effects of such development on marine mammals and whales in particular.

“Seismic activity has been shown to adversely affect the migration patterns of whales and has been implicated in the fatal stranding of whales. I am utterly shocked that this report from a so-called expert panel would entirely gloss over what is one of the most devastating impacts of oil and gas development in an ocean environment,” says Dr. Linda Weilgart of Dalhousie University, who has studied whales for the past 20 years, specializing in the issue of undersea noise pollution and its impact on whales.

“All of the marine mammal work in the science report is perfunctory and scantily researched,” she added. She spoke about these issues to a hall packed to overflowing in Nanaimo Monday night during an offshore oil and gas information session presented by the David Suzuki Foundation.

The Suzuki Foundation had asked to make a submission to the federal “Expert Panel on Science Issues Related to Oil and Gas Activities, Offshore British Columbia” when it heard from the science community last fall.

“Our report would have included information about the negative effects on marine mammals from seismic activity. However, our organization and many expert independent scientists were not allowed to appear before the panel,” said Jay Ritchlin of the David Suzuki Foundation. “From the beginning this review process was skewed in that it excluded the testimony of many of the people who study the most important issues surrounding the testing, drilling and production of offshore oil and gas,” he added.

“It wasn’t for lack of trying to get our views known. We did make a written submission but were actually entirely shut out of the public presentation process. Now to read the panel’s findings and find that there is no mention of the link between seismic activity and damage to fish eggs and larvae, fish with swim bladders and whales, is astounding. These were precisely the issues we intended to raise.”

Dr. Weilgart will join David Suzuki at the Vogue Theatre from 7-9p.m. this evening for the final public information session on offshore oil and gas. Both Dr. Weilgart and Dr. Suzuki will be available for comment this afternoon.



Media Contact:

Tamara Nowakowsky, Communications Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation

Ph: 604.732.4228