The BBC reports that oil and gas companies in operating in Russian waters have agreed to suspend seismic work, giving gray whales a chance to breed undisturbed.
The WWF and Pacific Environment conservation groups praised the Sakhalin Energy consortium for its decision to abandon underwater seismic work scheduled to take place off Sakhalin Island in 2009.
“The results seen today demonstrate that collaborative science based initiatives like this panel process can succeed – even on issues as complex as oil and gas development,” said Aleksey Knizhnikov from WWF-Russia in a statement
Score another one for WWF, one of my favorite BINGOs (Big International NGOs). It would be nice to see these commitments coming from oil and gas companies operating in US waters. For that, I would willingly drive an extra mile to fill my tank.
Question: Is this a permanent stoppage or are they just scheduling the work to months when the whales are not in the area?
My understanding is that they are scheduling the work so it does not overlap with the breeding season. Sounds like a good first step.