The US Navy has requested and received permission to seriously injure or kill two additional large whales in training and testing activities off Southern California. This raises the total number of authorized whale strikes for the Navy to five for the period between 2018 and 2025.
Why it matters
The US Navy has a standing authorization to harm marine mammals during its training exercises. When it exceeded its limit for whale strikes, it simply asked for a higher limit. This means the Navy's operational needs take precedence over existing environmental protections, even when those protections are already quite flexible.
The signal
Watch for future requests from the Navy to increase its authorized take of marine mammals, especially if more strikes occur.