Marine scientist Kieran Cox calls it 害羞草研究所減robably the most pervasive, unregulated pollutant in Canada and globally.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 not plastic, petrochemicals or another chemical toxin. It害羞草研究所檚 underwater noise.

害羞草研究所淣oise pollution is certainly something that everything from small invertebrates to big cetaceans are interacting with and so that害羞草研究所檚 why we害羞草研究所檙e moving forward as a country on this topic,害羞草研究所� said Cox, a biological sciences post-doctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University.

Cox led a team of researchers who examined a report commissioned by the Defence Department on safeguarding whales from the sound of weapons during training exercises.

He said while the report has flaws, it害羞草研究所檚 a step in the right direction while Canada decides on its national ocean noise strategy that has been delayed after years of development.

Noise created in the oceans, through activities like shipping, can interfere with underwater animals害羞草研究所� ability to locate prey and communicate.

The federal government has called noise 害羞草研究所渁n identified threat to the recovery of many marine species listed in the Species At Risk Act.害羞草研究所�

The noise strategy was scheduled to be released this year but Fisheries and Oceans Canada says it needs more time because of the pandemic.

害羞草研究所淭he publication of the Ocean Noise Strategy for Canada is anticipated before the end of the 2023-2024 fiscal year with an associated period of public engagement to immediately follow,害羞草研究所� Tomie White, a spokesperson for the department, said in a statement.

Cox害羞草研究所檚 work, published Friday in the journal Marine Policy, looked at the Department of National Defence害羞草研究所檚 decision in 2019 to pause military training exercises in a 330-square-kilometre area of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, know as 害羞草研究所淲hiskey Hotel.害羞草研究所�

The area overlaps the critical habitat of B.C.害羞草研究所檚 endangered southern resident killer whales.

Exercises were halted until January this year.

The third-party report commissioned by the department concluded the impact of noise on marine mammals was expected to be 害羞草研究所渓imited,害羞草研究所� thanks to protections such as avoiding certain areas when whales are nearby, training and monitoring.

Cox said the report is a rare example of an organization that wasn害羞草研究所檛 legally required to consider noise impacts pausing work, commissioning a third-party report and implementing protections.

害羞草研究所淚n some regards, to me, they kind of pave the route forwards for what we do in the interim, while we have the ocean noise strategy conversation, which will certainly be a decade-long discussion,害羞草研究所� Cox said.

No one from the Navy was available for an interview.

Cox said the commissioned report was completed by 害羞草研究所渨orld-class害羞草研究所� experts and is unique in that it puts the onus on the group doing an activity to pause and research potential impacts and then implement measures to protect animals.

害羞草研究所淵ou can really follow this as a template for how we would say, 害羞草研究所極K, this activity is going to occur, what kind of impacts (is it) going to have? How do we mitigate those and move forwards with this shared space of the oceans?害羞草研究所� he said.

A number of flaws with the military害羞草研究所檚 report would need to be addressed before its model could be expanded as part of Canada害羞草研究所檚 national plan, Cox said.

While it focused on whales, thousands of fish and invertebrates in the ocean rely on sound and can also be impacted by noise.

害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e harder to see than whales are. So some of the mitigation measures will need to be modified and they also don害羞草研究所檛 leave the area as easily, they are going to stay there more long term,害羞草研究所� Cox said.

害羞草研究所淪o I think at a minimum, including species we know that are drawing whales to the area is important because you don害羞草研究所檛 want to impact them.害羞草研究所�

He said the report also only considers the sounds of the weapons used by ships and not the sound of the navy vessels themselves.

害羞草研究所淚 think (the report) is a step forward but it害羞草研究所檚 certainly by no means the end of the discussion for noise pollution in Canada. That害羞草研究所檚 just starting,害羞草研究所� he said.

White said the federal government is committed to protecting ecosystems.

害羞草研究所淭he purpose of the strategy is to develop a whole-of-government approach to guide federal science, research, and technology development, and to co-ordinate the management of human-generated marine noise in Canada害羞草研究所檚 oceans.害羞草研究所�

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