"Court Orders Whale Protection, U.S. Navy to Restrict Sonar"

"HONOLULU – The U.S. Navy has agreed to limit its use of sonar and explosives training that harms whales, dolphins and other marine mammals off Hawaii and California in a settlement with environmental groups.

Signed by a federal judge in Honolulu, the combined settlement of two cases orders limits or bans on mid-frequency active sonar and explosives in areas of vital habitat around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California, said Earthjustice attorney David Henkin.

'If a whale or dolphin can’t hear, it can’t survive,' said David Henkin, an attorney for the national legal organization Earthjustice, who brought the initial challenge to the Navy’s latest round of training and testing on behalf of Conservation Council for Hawaii, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Ocean Mammal Institute."

Environment News Service had the story September 20, 2015.