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Judge orders U.S. Navy to cut sonar exercises off California coast |
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09:32, January 05, 2008 |
A U.S. federal judge has ordered the toughest set of restrictions on the U.S. Navy's use of mid-frequency sonar off California coast as part of a protracted court battle to protect whales and other marine mammals, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
The order was the first time that the judge has spelled out specific rules the Navy must follow to avoid a court-imposed ban on training missions with a type of sonar that has been linked to the death and panicked behavior of whales and dolphins.
U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper in Los Angeles Thursday ordered the Navy to refrain from using the powerful submarine-hunting sonar within about 20 kilometers of the coast, a corridor heavily used by migrating gray whales, dolphins and other marine mammals, according to the newspaper.
The judge said in her rulings that she wants to balance competing interests of national security and fleet readiness with environmental protections. A U.S. Navy spokesman said the Navy is considering its options regarding the order.
Source: Xinhua
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