Court rules in favor of marine life, bans US Navy from using sonar

New Delhi: The verdict of a federal appeal court is finally out and this time its in favor of dolphins, whales and other marine mammals that are badly tortured by the naval use of sonar. The court has completely banned the use of loud sonar pulses near coastlines and certain protected waters.

The court reversed a lower court decision which had granted for the Navy in 2012 to use low-frequency sonar for training, testing and routine operations in the oceans.

The court reversed a lower court decision which had granted for the Navy in 2012 to use low-frequency sonar for training, testing and routine operations in the oceans. Environmental groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council in 2012, filed a lawsuit in San Francisco arguing the approval violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Sonar technology is used by military worldwide for exploring, navigating and mapping the ocean. But the excessive use of this technology has not only injured and killed a large number of marine life but also disrupted their feeding and mating. 

(With ANI inputs)