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Published online 10 April 2008 |
Nature
| doi:10.1038/news.2008.748
Corrected online: 10 April 2008
News
Right whales wronged
The US proposes offshore drilling in endangered whales' summer haunt.
The rising tide of global fossil-fuel prices is set to heighten the conflict between the US oil and gas industry and the interests of migratory whales, after two federal announcements both laid claim to the same piece of the chilly Bering Sea.
The contested region, part of Bristol Bay off the Alaskan coast, is one of the regions that has become more appealing for oil and gas drillers in recent years despite its inhospitable location.
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Aren't Right whales migratory? Couldn't any seismic activity be confined to times that aren't when the whales are around or require verifying that none of the rare whales are near! Other than that I doubt it would be justifiable to restrict crew boats from the area when no other ships are restriced. Seems to be much hype about nothing to me.