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It’s an outrage: BP gets go-ahead to drill in right whale habitat

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In Environment
Apr 22nd, 2018
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Researchers examine one of the North Atlantic right whales that have died in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Researchers examine one of the North Atlantic right whales that died in the Gulf of St. Lawrence last year. -Marine Animal Response Society photo

AWARE News Network

Really bad news, just in time for Earth Day.

The Trudeau government is allowing BP to do exploratory drilling off the Nova Scotia coast, in prime right whale habitat. .

The federal government gave its formal blessing to the project in February and referred it to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) for creating a spill response plan and granting the final approval.

Now, that predictable approval has been given. It’s an outrage. North Atlantic right whales are on the bring of extinction, with just 450 remaining.

Sierra Club news release

Sierra Club Reacts to Drill Permit Given to BP the day before Earth Day

Ottawa, April 22, 2018 – On Saturday, April 21, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) announced it was granting permission for BP to begin exploratory drilling off Nova Scotia.

“Coming as it did the day before Earth Day, a day set aside for all of us to come together to celebrate this fragile and magnificent planet and renew our continued determination to protect it, this announcement has been gut-wrenching,” according to Gretchen Fitzgerald, National Program Director of Sierra Club Canada Foundation.

Sierra Club, as members of the Offshore Alliance, organized a protest this week at the Liberal Party Convention in Halifax to draw attention to the threat to the environment and fishing and tourism industries caused by the BP exploratory drilling project and changes in federal Bill C-69 that would grant more powers to offshore petroleum boards.

“With the Mi’kmaq Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office stating they need more consultation before drilling proceeds and local MP Bernadette Jordan stating she is still trying to get answers on local concerns – including the fact that capping stack would take 12 days to get onsite to cap a blowout – the announcement of the offshore board emphasizes how tone deaf these Boards are to public democratic processes and environmental concerns.”

“In spite of this approval we continue to call on the Board to deepen its consultations before damage is done. And we call on the federal government to reverse plans to give these Boards more powers in new Impact Assessment rules under Bill C-69. They are clearly not capable of undertaking fair and credible assessments & consultations.

Background on right whales

One Response to “It’s an outrage: BP gets go-ahead to drill in right whale habitat”

  1. Rose Writes says:

    Most of these whales are gravely ill and once they get entangled it’s like dead leaves caught in a sewer grate.

    And I hate to say it, there were about 100 whales that died. We are only hearing about the ones that washed ashore. Their population is at about 350 (at best).

    I alerted the NOAA April 2017 about Wolbachia most likely being the root cause of North Atlantic right whale mortality. They (and others) have completely ignored the study literature I sent them.

    Note: Any baleen whales will be susceptible and I understand they often suffer abrasions around their mouths (which could be the source of entry for Wolbachia). Secondary predation and co-ingestion are other means of infection.

    Wolbachia is a reproductive parasite. It can live outside of a cell for (at least) 1 week with no decrease in viability. It can also be grown in human lung cells at 37 degrees C (normal body temp). These whales have a body temp. very close to ours.

    Also, N.A. right whales are highly promiscuous. And, whales have also suffered West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus. Zika is supported over 97 percent within that phylogenetic clade. I highly suspect Zika is the phage that is enabling Wolbachia to infect vertebrates (including humans). But other viruses could too.

    I wrote to the pathologist, Dr. Daoust, who led the necropsies in Canada. His response (also used twice in their official report): An infectious cause “cannot be ruled out, but is unlikely”. Imagine if we said that to a woman that might be pregnant, LOL.

    I have a petition (has ~ 995 supporters now) to demand these whales are tested for Wolbachia because azithromycin might save them from extinction. My (our) latest petition update: https://www.change.org/p/investigate-north-atlantic-right-whale-deaths-without-the-noaa-a-u-s-gov-t-agency/u/22664462

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