DeHavilland
Information Services:
Shell platform disrupting rare whale habitat:
"The WWF is now seeking to exert pressure on the
EBRD over the environmental impact of its loan.
Mr Steele said: "We urge the bank to decline
financing until Shell properly faces up to its
responsibilities.": 14/12/2005
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A new survey has found that a Shell oil
platform off eastern Russia, built despite
environmental concerns, is disrupting the
fragile lives of the world's last remaining
western Pacific grey whales.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) study examined the
whales' feeding habits between July to September
and found that the small population of around
100 grey whales was shunning its traditional
habitat.
The whales avoided feeding grounds close to the
building site of the PA-B oil platform, under
construction since July despite concerns from
environmentalists and scientists that underwater
noise pollution would scare the whales away.
WWF international chief executive Paul Steele
said: "Shell has failed to meet even its own
environmental standards on its projects."
The WWF, together with the International Fund
for Animal Welfare, point out that the western
Pacific grey whales can only feed with
kilometres of the Sakhalin coast as they rely on
crustaceans filtered from the seabed for food.
Shell is leading a consortium of oil producers
in the area developing a series of offshore gas
and oil platforms known as Sakhalin II. The
project is part-funded by the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The WWF is now seeking to exert pressure on the
EBRD over the environmental impact of its loan.
Mr Steele said: "We urge the bank to decline
financing until Shell properly faces up to its
responsibilities."
Shell and the rest of the Sakhalin development
consortium deny that their activities have had
an impact on the grey whales or led to
population decline.
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