RIASSUNTO
Potential impacts from anthropogenic sound, including from geophysical operations, on marine life have received ever-increasing attention in recent years from regulators, environmental non-governmental organizations (eNGOs) and the public. As a result, many national government agencies and international agencies have developed a range of guidelines and regulations aimed at mitigating these potential impacts.
The geophysical industry is committed to conducting offshore activities in an environmentally responsible manner, including compliance with mitigation and monitoring regulations and guidelines. More than three decades of worldwide seismic surveying and various scientific research indicate that the risk of direct physical injury to marine mammals is extremely low. Also, there is no scientific evidence demonstrating biologically significant negative impacts on populations. Nevertheless, IAGC members support measures to minimize the impact of their operations, so long as they are proportionate to the potential risk and are based on scientific data.
Regulations vary from one country to another and between different regional authorities, and in several locations there are no official guidelines in place. Regulations are frequently amended, often in reaction to public demand and questionable indication of potential impacts. Operating globally, the geophysical industry faces many challenges as it seeks to understand and properly implement the disparate regulatory requirements.
IAGC is proactive in engaging with government agencies in their development of regulations, and supplying guidance to its members where none exist. Its guidance document Recommended Mitigation Measures for Cetaceans during Geophysical Operations was published in 2009 and was updated in 2011.
This paper will review the current status of guidelines globally and serve as an update to the authors’ 2008 paper on this topic. In addition, we discuss how guidelines have evolved since 2008, how they have impacted the geophysical industry, and the actions IAGC has undertaken to address the issue.