A study by the National Marine Fisheries Service claims that proposed Navy sonar training could hurt a variety of fish species off the coast of North Carolina. The report goes on to say that fish may stay away from the sonar area, which could, in turn, affect the state's seafood industry.
"If they are doing acoustic exercises on a routine basis, I think it's possible that fish will avoid that area," Steve Tulevech, a marine biologist, told the News & Observer. "It could wipe out the recreational and commercial fishing operations and all the stuff that goes along with that -- sale of hotel rooms, bait, tackle and restaurants that depend on that tourism."
The area in question is a 660-square-mile area off the N.C. coast which the Navy has preferred for its training range, which "would teach sailors and pilots to use sonar to track submarines," according to the paper. "The surveillance system uses pulses of sound bounced off submerged objects to pinpoint and track subs."
The Navy's study said the sonar would affect the behavior of whales but would have "minimal" effect on fish.
"I've got very serious concerns about how it could affect fishing off the North Carolina coast, not just mammals but commercial and recreational fishing," Randy Ramsey, immediate past president of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, told the News & Observer.
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