Canadian Government Approved Test Drilling Despite Impacts on Beluga Whales

The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans may have blocked research scientist Dr. Véronique Lesage from sharing her concerns about the impact of exploratory drilling and seismic testing on threatened beluga whales in the St. Lawrence River, reports investigative freelancer Mike De Souza. That conclusion comes from “a stunning Quebec Superior Court injunction that temporarily halted exploratory work on a major cross-Canada oilsands pipeline project.” Alberta-based TransCanada Corporation wanted to conduct testing for its proposed Energy East pipeline in the port of Cacouna, in the heart of the belugas’ critical habitat. Evidence released in court showed that federal officials approved the drilling, with no requirement for special permits under endangered species legislation, even though Lesage “appears to agree with warnings that the drilling would harm the whales.” Two days after De Souza’s post, CBC reported that belugas in the St. Lawrence estuary are on a “catastrophic trajectory,” according to Quebec’s Marine Mammals Research and Education Group, with an unusual number of calves dying each year since 2008.