The Government of Canada and the provinces of British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia have just released a Statement of Practice on Seismic Noise in the Marine Environment.

This is the first in a series of steps being taken by industry and government to start exploring for oil off Canada’s west coast, despite a moratorium on oil and gas development and widespread public opposition.

The Statement of Practice is open for public comment until Tuesday, April 19, 2005. Let the government know the moratorium on oil and gas development on the B.C. coast must be kept in place – including the ban on seismic testing. Comments on the Statement itself can be made directly to seismic-sismique@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or you can contact Minister of Natural Resources John Efford at efford.j@parl.gc.ca and let him know what 75% of British Columbians surveyed have already made clear: Canada’s West Coast should stay oil and gas free.

According to the David Suzuki Foundation, the main issues with this Statement and seismic testing are:

“Oil exploration means seismic testing, one of the most destructive elements of the offshore industry.

Seismic exploration uses air guns to blast the ocean floor with high-pressure sound waves. Typically, high-intensity, explosive sound waves are shot from 15 to 35 guns, every 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, for weeks and months at a time, in an effort to locate offshore oil reserves.

Global evidence is mounting that seismic testing interferes with whale sonar, leading to fatal strandings and disruption of whale feeding, mating, and migration patterns. It has been implicated in damage to a variety of fish populations, squid, and crab. The long-term impacts of seismic testing on the marine environment have yet to be determined.”

Thank you, as always, to the David Suzuki Foundation for bringing this to our attention.