Study: No conclusive link between Navy sonar and dead porpoises [View All]

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Monday, February 09, 2004 - Page updated at 11:06 A.M.

Study: No conclusive link between Navy sonar and dead porpoises

By Ian Ith
Seattle Times staff reporter

SEATTLE — Studies of dead porpoises found off San Juan Island last spring following a controversial testing of U.S. Navy sonar in Haro Strait have found no conclusive evidence linking the deaths directly to the Navy's sonar use, a report issued this morning by the National Marine Fisheries Service says.

But the study also could not rule out that the porpoises might have suffered serious, and perhaps fatal, hearing damage from the loud naval sonar.

"There isn't any smoking gun," said Brian Gorman, a NMFS spokesman.

Instead, the fisheries service said that two of the porpoises had died of "blunt force trauma," or blows that could have been suffered by any number of things, from being struck by ships to beaching themselves. Three others died of natural disease. The scientists said they could not find the cause of death for the other six animals because their remains were too decomposed.

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