MEDIA RELEASE
May 31, 2007

Whales don’t like war games:
IWC report condemns US military in Great Barrier Reef

This week the International Whaling Commission released a report condemning the presence of military sonar in the Great Barrier Reef marine park – part of the Talisman Sabre 07 U.S. – Australian joint war games.  The report confirms the risks posed by military maneuvers in our protected areas and the need to examine closely the environmental impacts of all military activities in the Shoalwater Bay region, the centre of the war games.

Environmental spokesperson for the Peace Convergence Kim Stewart, says, “Low frequency active sonar, the type used by U.S. submarines, is a known cause of whale and dolphin beachings.    Sonar causes the animals to panic, surface too quickly and get “the bends”, can cause brain and lung hemorrhages, and cause them to become disoriented and hence beach themselves.  They can also suffer hearing loss, psychological stress and desert their young as a result of exposure to sonar.  Sonar is also known to affect other species such a s turtles and fish, reducing the fertility of their eggs and resonating in fish swim bladders causing internal injuries.”

“Scientists are so sure that active sonar kills cetaceans that they have begun legal action against the use of sonar in the oceans off Hawaii as part of the Talisman Sabre war games.  Even the U.S. navy admit that sonar causes beachings and whale deaths.  Consequently in January 2007 they exempted themselves from the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.”

“The military are telling us that sonar does not travel far from it’s source, so they can monitor the presence of cetaceans.  However, active sonar can travel hundreds of kilometers, much further than regular sound, making monitoring unlikely.”

“The military are giving the public assurances that their activities in the Great Barrier Reef will not harm the environment.  But the fact is, they cannot avoid it.  The everyday munitions and maintenance chemicals contain contaminants including heavy metals and perchlorate and are known to harm the environment.  The military’s Public Environment Report has basically ignored the concerns of environmentalists on this issue,” says Ms Stewart.

Media contact: Kim Stewart 0413 397 839

The Peace Convergence is a collective of groups and individuals dedicated to peaceful non-violent actions against war and militarism

Ahimsa House - Anti Nuclear Alliance of WA  - Australian  Anti-Bases Coalition - Australian Democrats - Australian Greens - Brisbane Anarchists Subverting the Aust Representative Democracy - Brisbane Stop the War Collective - Byron Bay Peace Convergence - Cairns and Regional Environment Council - Dr. Helen Caldicott - Fanai Castro: Chamorro Movement, Guam - Christians Against  All Terrorism - Citizens Against Depleted Uranium - Cycle Against the Nuclear Cycle - Depleted Uranium Silent Killer - Food Not Bombs - Fremantle Anti Nuclear Group - Friends of the Earth Australia - Friends of the Earth Brisbane - Frontline Films - Greenpeace Australia Pacific - Dr. Zohl de Istar, Aust. Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies - Just Peace Queensland - Terri Keko'olani, Kanaka Maol Movement, Hawaii - Medical Association for the Prevention of War - Melbourne Peace Convergence - NSW Greens - Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific - Peace Convergence collective - People for Nuclear Disarmament (WA)- Pine Gap 6 - Professor Kevin Clements, Director Aust. Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies - Quakers Queensland - Queensland Conservation Council - Queensland Democrats - Queensland Greens - Queensland Nuclear Free Alliance - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Senator Andrew Bartlett - Shoalwater Wilderness Awareness Group - Spirit of Eureka - Sunshine Coast Environment Council - Dr. David Suzuki - Sydney Stop the War Coalition  - Uniting Church Justice Reference Group (Melb) - Whalecall - Wildlife Protection Association Australia - Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom - Ya Basta Collective, Kuranda