WWF-Canada statement on the decision to postpone seismic testing in Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait

WWF

Toronto, May 28, 2015 – The National Energy Board was informed this week that a Norwegian-based consortium of oil and gas exploration companies have decided to halt plans for seismic testing this summer in Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait. The hamlet of Clyde River, NU, has strongly opposed seismic testing in this area, as there is concern about how the noise of loud underwater cannons used in this process will affect species including narwhal, beluga and bowhead whales, as well as seals and walrus. WWF-Canada agrees that high-decibel blasts from seismic explosions can have detrimental effects on marine mammals, which have evolved to use sound as their primary means for communication, foraging, navigating, and generally perceiving features in the environment around them. Sound from seismic testing can disrupt their natural activities, induce stress responses, degrade their environment and, in the more extreme cases, lead to permanent hearing damage and even death.

Clyde River Mayor Jerry Natanine argued in front of a Federal Court of Appeal last month to seek an injunction preventing the consortium from going ahead with seismic testing until a federal environmental assessment can be carried out to identify which areas should remain closed to development. A court decision is expected soon.

The following is a statement from David Miller, President and CEO of WWF-Canada, about the decision by the Norwegian consortium to halt activities for the 2015 season until the Appeals Court decision is reached:

“We are thrilled with the news from the National Energy Board that the people of Clyde River have been heard, and that no seismic testing will take place this summer in Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait. We, along with many others, continue to wait anxiously for the Federal Court of Appeals ruling on whether to allow seismic testing in this ecologically sensitive area. We hope the voices of northern communities will continue to influence decision-making around the lands and waters on which they depend for their livelihood and survival.”

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For further information contact

Megan Nesseth, Communications Specialist – Arctic, WWF-Canada
[email protected]
(416) 904-2482