§ Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domerasked Her Majesty's Government:
When the full environmental reports of the first sea trials of Sonar 2087 will be available; and [HL4366]
How they cover behavioural as opposed to auditory impacts in their assessment of the effect of Sonar 2087 on marine wildlife; and [HL4367]
What is the status of any environmental guidelines that have been drawn up in support of the operational use of Sonar 2087; and [HL4369]
Whether, in the event that the outcome of an environmental impact assessment on the use of Sonar 2087 proved to be damaging to cetaceans, the use of the system would be halted. [HL4371]
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§ Lord BachEnvironmental reports relating to trials of Sonar 2087, including the report of the first sea trial of 2002, will be published on resolution of some outstanding copyright issues. This is expected by the end of the year.
The global environmental impact assessment was produced on the basis of defining the potential for physical or physiological impacts on humans, mammals and fish and addressed methods by which they could be avoided or minimised. The behavioural impacts of Sonar 2087 on marine life were monitored during the June 2004 sea trial by an academic marine mammal behaviourist from Aberdeen University and will be addressed in the report on that trial.
The in-service operational use of Sonar 2087 will adhere to the existing Royal Navy environmental command guidance (Interim Command Guidance for Users of In-Service Active Sonars to Mitigate Against Marine Mammal Disturbance).
Should new evidence be found which suggests a link between the current method of deploying Sonar 2087 and a detrimental effect on marine life then we would, as a matter of course, consider what changes to the current mitigation measures should be made.