Court Bars Navy Sonar Use

The Navy can no longer use high-density long-range sonar. In a July 18 ruling, a three-judge panel with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service illegally approved the Navy’s request to use the sonar system to detect submarines. The decision came as a result of a lawsuit brought forth by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Human Society of the United States, and several other environment and animal-welfare advocacy groups. They contended that the sonar emits a frequency that kills marine mammals. The Navy has the option to appeal the ruling to a full panel of judges on the Ninth Circuit.