U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program

U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program conducting public scoping meetings for Trident submarine base at Bangor

The U.S. Navy is proposing the use of sea lions and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins at the Bangor submarine base for a Swimmer Interdiction Security System (SISS). The program is for waterside security measures to counter threats from surface and submerged swimmers.

Dolphins in the program would drop beacons when they detect a suspicious swimmer to let human interceptor teams know where to look. Sea lions would carry special cuffs in their mouths that they would attach to a suspicious swimmer's leg. Human interceptor teams would then reel the swimmer in using a long rope attached to the cuff. The Navy's preferred plan would be to send as many as 30 California sea lions and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins from the Navy's Marine Mammal Program, based in San Diego, to Bangor.

Knitting for Dolphins, an organization recently formed in the Puget Sound region, has proposed that members knit sweaters for the dolphins, accustomed to water temperatures in San Diego approximately 12 degrees warmer than in Puget Sound. Members plan to knit at the public scoping meetings. Please see www.knittingfordophins.com.

The public scoping meetings will be held at the following locations and dates:

Kitsap: Tuesday March 27, 5:30-8:30 pm at Naval Undersea Museum, Highway 308 at Garnet Way, Keyport, WA

Seattle: Wednesday March 28, 5-30-8:30 pm at Holiday Inn, 211 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle, WA

In a strange turn of events, one member of the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action was told by the Navy that he was banned from attending the public scoping meeting at the Naval Undersea Museum on March 27 due to a barment letter issued in December 1987 for praying at the entrance to the Bangor submarine base.

Brian Watson, Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action member, stated, "The U.S. Navy wants our kids to fight their wars. They want our land for their military bases, our waters to practice firing torpedoes and blowing things up, and now they want to conscript the animals on our planet to guard its nuclear weapons. If the Navy is so concerned about safety, it should dismantle the Trident nuclear weapons system."

Glen Milner, the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action member banned from the March 27 meeting, had previously stated, "It is more of a risk that the Navy will drop one of its missiles at Bangor than the threat of an Al-Qaeda swimmer with an explosive vest."