IWC: Oil exploration could harm whales

FRIGATE BAY, St. Kitts – Blasts from undersea airguns fired by boats searching for oil could harm whales and should be studied further, said a report unanimously endorsed Monday by the International Whaling Commission.

Repeated bursts of air cause high levels of underwater sound that could affect whales’ migration and mating patterns, the report said. It also noted that there might be a connection between the sound waves and humpback whale strandings.

The IWC recommended that governments and international groups study the issue and explore ways to mitigate noise pollution in the world’s oceans.

“This has significant implications for reforming the way the oil and gas industry explore in our world’s oceans,” said Joel Reynolds, a lawyer with the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council. “Impacts on marine mammals can no longer be ignored.”

AP