NASSAU, BAHAMAS – An Abaco-based marine mammal conservation nonprofit has expressed concern that SpaceX’s plan to land their Falcon 9 booster at an offshore location in the Exumas has placed the landing site within whale habitat, without consulting Bahamian whale researchers.
Exuma Sound is home to both resident and migratory whales, all of which are protected species under The Bahamas Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organization.
BMMRO said in a statement: “Of concern are resident beaked whales, as these whales are particularly vulnerable to man-made noise and have died in our waters in the past following navy sonar exercises. Beaked whales’ primary habitat is in depths of 3,000 feet, the same depth chosen for the location of the booster landing, an extremely noisy event. Another concern is the timing; during the winter months, humpback whales with their newborn calves migrate through Bahamian waters, with most sightings occurring in Exuma Sound. Humpback whales have finally recovered from whaling but face threats from many other human impacts. A pregnant female humpback whale died last week in Eleuthera and aborted her full-term calf post-mortem.”
BMMRO noted that without public access to information concerning the noise, debris, and emissions generated during the landing, it is impossible to fully understand the risks that the SpaceX landing poses to Bahamian marine life, highlighting the need for the full enactment of our Freedom of Information Act.
“Understanding there will be impacts to whales during SpaceX’s landings in offshore waters of the United States, SpaceX needed an exemption from the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act. Has the Bahamian Government done the same? Furthermore, for a foreign commercial company to operate in The Bahamas at this scale, we would expect an Environmental Assessment to be required under our Environmental Protection Act. Has this occurred? Regardless, a crucial part of that process is sharing knowledge through public consultation to improve mitigation measures and limit impacts on the environment. We respectfully request the Government of The Bahamas to release information pertaining to the environmental impacts that are being used to assess the risks of the booster landings,” BMMRO stated.
