A three-year delay
A three-year delay to release the Government’s proposed Ocean Noise Strategy (ONS) has finally come to an end. Originally intended to be proposed in 2021, the ONS draft was released on August 23, 2024. This Strategy has been built on previously existing initiatives such as the Species at Risk Act, Marine Mammal Regulations under the Fisheries Act and the Canada Shipping Act, and other similar initiatives. It comes at a critical time, bolstering our efforts towards protecting biodiversity across the Salish Sea. The goals of the Strategy also help support the broader conservation goals of Canada’s national commitment to 30 x 30 by fulfilling specific targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Impacts of ocean noise
In the year 2000, seventeen beaked whales were found stranded on a beach in The Bahamas—mammals that have lived in the Grand Bahama Canyon for 30 million years. This alarming number raised an important question: What could have caused the group of cetaceans that hold the record for the deepest and longest diving mammals in the world to be found like this near the surface? Subsequent stranding events around the world (such as the stranding of 100 Melon-headed whales in Madagascar), and years of research have found the reason to be ocean noise.
While the human ear is not attuned to sounds generated underwater, the anthropogenic sources of ocean noise such as the thunderous clamor of ships, and the invasive seismic explorations or unrelenting offshore constructions, create a catastrophic impact on all marine life. The strandings in The Bahamas were associated with the deep-sonar exercises carried out by the Navy in the area. The rapid change in diving behavior causes these animals to experience decompression illness, resulting in bubbles in their blood, joints and vital organs—similar what one would experience while scuba diving when rapid pressure changes occur.
Further documented impacts would be loss of the ability to communicate underwater as noise masks the calls that marine animals make, temporary or permanent hearing loss, as well as disruptions in feeding, breeding, spawning, and nursing. Additionally, these noises create a state of chronic stress and confusion in the animals, and ultimately lead them to unwillingly change their migratory routes. A study conducted on Minke whales concluded that the presence of noise in the ocean’s soundscape causes ~20% delays in migration arrivals, potentially even leading to failure to arrive with the trends in increasing noise. In extreme cases, this disturbance also leads to death.
The current state of BC’s waters warrants urgent action to protect the future of life above and beneath the waves, for there does not exist a healthy tomorrow without healthy oceans teeming with life today. The ONS is a good start to addressing the harmful effects of ocean noise, but it is just a start.
Did you know?
Sound travels about 4.3 times faster in water and loses less intensity as it travels, when compared to air.
The Ocean Noise Strategy in brief
The Strategy is centered around three themes namely:
- Science, knowledge gathering and innovation
- Assessment and management
- Communication, coordination and engagement
Under each of the themes listed above, there is an ‘action-oriented’ objective that provides vision to achieve the theme’s desirable outcomes. Further, under each of these objectives are a set of recommendations intended to help guide their success. There are a total of twenty recommendations spread across the three objectives. These recommendations are intended to identify gaps and opportunities in issues surrounding ocean noise, and also explores further the ability of the Government to work with multiple stakeholders and right holders. In doing so, the Strategy emphasizes having a collaborative, proactive approach and focuses on innovation for mitigating the complex issue of noise.
Additionally, the Strategy seeks to encourage the application of an ecosystem-based management approach, balance economic development with environmental preservation, and “contribute to the Government of Canada’s commitment to build renewed Nation-to-Nation, Inuit-Crown and government-to-government relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis through respect and protection of Indigenous Peoples’ and treaty rights and through meaningful consultation.”
Did you know?
Ocean noise impacts marine life ranging from a blue whale to zooplankton. Studies suggest that blasts from a seismic air gun caused a two-to-threefold increase in zooplankton mortality within 24 hours.
Reflections on the Ocean Noise Strategy
While the Strategy enlists a great number of ambitious approaches through its recommendations, it fails to demonstrate the ‘how’. The clear lack of any action-oriented strategy, timelines, or any tangible outcomes weakens its credibility. While the themes seem to be well-thought out and pertinent to ensure a nationwide multi-disciplinary collaborative approach, ten out of the twenty recommendations focus on improving the science on the complexity of ocean noise—an issue that has been studied and addressed around the world for decades now, including in Canada where an action plan for killer whales already exists. The ongoing pursuit to decode the science around ocean noise has resulted in a plethora of research across species in different parts of the world—something that could be used for reference as a start. This report also emphasizes that there are opportunities within the legal framework for immediate protection against ocean noise, and that the current regulatory framework is underutilized. The need for finding new information always remains, but the intent of collecting perfect information is worrisome and dilutes the criticality of the crisis and a need for swift intervention. Why are there no recommended regulations, thresholds or noise-reduction measures for ocean noise in the entire document?
60-day consultation period is now open!
The current draft of the ONS is, to be blunt, rather disappointing. However, Fisheries and Oceans Canada have welcomed a public consultation that began August 23 and will close on Oct 22, 2024. This is a fitting opportunity for everyone, particularly Indigenous Peoples, marine industry stakeholders and associated members, non-government and environmental organizations, academics, and the general public to ask questions, provide feedback, recommendations, and suggestions on inclusions or exclusions from the document. All of the relevant information on how to provide feedback can be found here.
With massive and destructive projects like the TMX pipeline and the RBT2 threatening the existence of the oceans’ biodiversity and the health and safety of communities, our commitment to protecting the Salish Sea continues, and we encourage you to participate in this ongoing fight. Together, we strive for a tomorrow where our efforts are not needed because the oceans are safe and thriving.
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” – Helen Keller
What’s next?
The Federal Action Plan for the ONS is anticipated to be released in 2025, and is said to be guided by the recommendations and feedback received during the consultation period, to provide direction to future work in ameliorating the impacts of ocean noise.
GSA is currently developing an ONS toolkit to guide our supporters through the strategy and provide information on ways to participate. Connect with us (below) to get updates and info on events about the Ocean Noise Strategy!
If you are unsure on the feedback you want to provide, worry not, stay tuned with us as we work with our partners to bring to you suggestions/recommendations that might be suitable for feedback through the consultation process!
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- Feel free to reach us at gsa@georgiastrait.org if you have any questions or drop us a comment in the box below.
- Find more ways to get involved here!
Image: Rachael Merrett