Four small whales have been pushed to the shore of southern Crete in Greece confused by the sonar signals of military boats and submarines taking part in a joint Greco-Israeli-USA aeronautic exercise called Noble Dina 2014 on the 2nd of April, 2014 and the sea turned red. As reports from Cretalive.gr have it two of the animals were freed, however, one of them died.
The same has happened before (1996 in Kyparissia, 2012 in Corfu). These animals (Ziphius cavirostris) use a soundtracking system to self orientate and are therefore in high risk of being influenced by the military sonars. Both the University of Crete and the Greek/Hellenic Center for Marine Research maintain the above view and urge for closer examination of the circumstances of the animal's death.
Let's call for measures against this barbaric "side effect". Those responsible for military exercises should take into account the environments in which they take place and not endanger the species residing in them especially when endangered, unique species are involved.
Mr Avramopoulos,
Four small whales have been pushed to the shore of southern Crete in Greece confused by the sonar signals of military boats and submarines taking part in a joint Greco-Israeli-USA aeronautic exercise called Noble Dina 2014 on the 2nd of April, 2014 and the sea turned red. As reports have it two of the animals were freed, however, one of them died.
The same has happened before (1996 in Kyparissia, 2012 in Corfu). These animals (Ziphius cavirostris) use a soundtracking system to self orientate and are therefore in high risk of being influenced by the military sonars. Both the University of Crete and the Greek/Hellenic Center for Marine Research maintain the above view and urge for closer examination of the circumstances of the animal's death.
We call for measures against this barbaric "side effect". Those responsible for military exercises should take into account the environments in which they take place and not endanger the species residing in them especially when endangered, unique species are involved.
The people responsible for the entrapment of those animals and the death of one of them should be punished.
Sincerely,
