[Greens-Media] Campbell silent on seismic blasting of coral reef

[Twomey, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)]

Campbell silent on seismic blasting of coral reef

In Senate Question Time today Senator Ian Campbell could not explain why
the Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH) had refused to fully
assess a proposal by Woodside to conduct seismic testing on Scott Reef
off the Kimberley coast in WA, and watered down its protections for
Green Turtles. 

"The testing will have grievous impacts on the rich marine life around
this remote reef system," Senator Siewert said. "It involves flooding
the area with high intensity sonar for fifty days at a time, at levels
which would be extremely harmful to human beings if they were in the
water nearby."

"I don't know of anywhere else in the world where seismic testing on
this scale is allowed in such proximity to a reef ecosystem." 

"After refusing to formally assess this proposal, the DEH deleted their
earlier condition preventing Woodside from conducting the testing during
the peak nesting period for the Green turtle."

"On what basis did the DEH decide to remove the protection for Green
turtles? How does the Department think the communities of fish, dolphins
and smaller species inhabiting the reef will fare while Woodside is
pounding their environment with high intensity blasts of noise?"

Seismic testing has been linked to mass whale strandings but its impacts
on other marine life is virtually unknown.
	           
For more information or comment call 
Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025
Email senator.siewert at aph.gov.au 
http://www.rachelsiewert.org.au

RESCUE THE SENATE

Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia
Tuesday,  12 September 2006 	

MEDIA RELEASE