3 September 2016, Honolulu, Hawai’i (IUCN) - The critically endangered western gray whale population that feeds in Russia’s Far East waters is slowly showing signs of recovery, but their numbers and range are still at risk from industry activity in the region, according to a new report released today at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.
The
joint report by IUCN-International Union for Conservation for Nature,
WWF and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) examines the
influence of an IUCN-led independent panel of scientists, which has been
advising Sakhalin Energy – one of the largest companies operating in
the area – as part of an innovative loan deal. Over the last 12 years,
Sakhalin Energy has made important efforts to limit the impact of its
operations on whales and the fragile environment. During this period,
the western gray whale population has grown 3-4% annually, from an
estimated 115 animals in 2004 to 174 in 2015.
The western gray whale population is currently listed at Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species™.
“What
started 12 years ago as a response to a growing conflict between
environmentalists and the oil and gas industry over one critically
endangered whale population has resulted in multiple benefits for
conservation and business,” says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen.
“IUCN has shown that independent scientific panels are an effective
mechanism to arrive at evidence-based and robust solutions to some of
today’s pressing environment and development challenges.”
However,
the report also warns that further cooperation and involvement of all
companies and industries in the region – including oil and gas operators
and fisheries - are crucial to ensure best practices and the long-term
protection of the animals.
“The
annual increase of Sakhalin whales is encouraging but their recovery in
the long-term will depend on more companies in the region joining this
effort,” said Doug Nowacek, a well-known specialist in whale behaviour and a WGWAP panellist.
“Sakhalin Energy has demonstrated that it is possible for companies to
mitigate their impacts and still operate effectively. But other
companies in Sakhalin need to take similar measures to address the
problem of cumulative impacts of industry on the marine environment.”
The report, titled Stories of Influence,
explores how the panel generated benefits for business and
conservation. It is based on interviews with more than 20 experts and
stakeholders engaged in the process. Over the past 12 years, the panel
issued more than 539 recommendations to Sakhalin Energy and other
parties, 90% of which have been implemented or superseded by subsequent
advice. The process has included financial lenders and government
officials as well as NGOs, serving as observers.
Among
the achievements is a decision by Sakhalin Energy to alter the route of
its pipeline to minimize the disruption and impact on the whales’
feeding grounds. The panel has advocated innovative scientific research,
including a satellite-tagging programme that has documented the longest
one-way migration of any mammal – a 10,880km journey from Sakhalin to
its wintering calving grounds in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. In
addition, the panel’s work has also led to the development of one of
the most comprehensive company Monitoring and Mitigation Plans for
seismic surveys, which now serves as the industry’s global guide.
IUCN
first established what is now known as WGWAP in 2004 in response to a
growing concern over Sakhalin Energy’s plans for expansion in the Sea of
Okhotsk and the impact this could have on the critically endangered
whales found off Sakhalin Island. An outcry from NGOs opposing those
plans eventually persuaded lenders to tie a number of mitigating
conditions to the loan agreement. These included a requirement for
Sakhalin Energy to finance an independent panel managed by IUCN to
provide recommendations on their operations.
“The
Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel has reduced the impact of this oil
and gas operation on one of the world’s most threatened whales, a legacy
the lenders to this project can be proud of,” says Wendy Elliott, Deputy Global Wildlife Leader, WWF International.
“We encourage other financial institutions to replicate this success by
including similarly stringent conditions when granting loans to
projects with potentially damaging impacts on threatened wildlife and
their habitats.”
Sakhalin
Energy recognises that integrating science into the company’s
management and policies has had a positive impact on its operations, and
this is now reflected in the company’s vision.
During
the report’s launch, IUCN confirmed it intends to sign another
five-year agreement with Sakhalin Energy to continue this work. Under
the new agreement covering 2017-2021, WGWAP will continue to provide
independent scientific advice to the company. Also, the panel has
recently established a working group to explore how similar lending
conditions to enhance conservation measures can be mainstreamed going
forward.
Throughout
the IUCN Congress from 1-10 September, a number of events will explore
the management of oil and gas impacts on the marine environment, as well
as examine the effectiveness of Independent Scientific Advisory Panels,
such as WGWAP, for resolving environmental conflicts on behalf of
governments and business. In addition, building on the WGWAP
experience, IUCN has released a new guide developed to help industry
design and carry out effective and responsible geophysical surveys.
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Additional quotes from stakeholders:
“The
WGWAP process has served as a constructive platform for open dialogue
between the oil and gas companies and NGOs. All of the WGWAP
recommendations are public, which has fostered greater transparency and
accountability among all of the stakeholders,” said Masha Vorontsova, Director, IFAW Russia & CIS.
Deric Quaile of Shell
said at the press conference: “As a shareholder in Sakhalin Energy,
Shell believes that the WGWAP process has played an important role in
improving environmental performance in the Sakhalin-2 Project. The
lessons from cooperation with WGWAP reinforced Shell’s conviction that
environmental and biodiversity screening and stakeholder collaboration
should be an integral part of the company’s business decisions.”
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