A groundbreaking settlement of two lawsuits has taken place this week. This has renewed hope that the commitment of Navy to adopt important new safeguards on two of its most significant training ranges, in waters off southern California and Hawaii, possibly signal a fundamental shift in its approach toward wildlife conservation in the oceans in which it is operating.

It is for the first time so far that the Navy has decided to forego completely or limit significantly its planned explosives testing and mid-range sonar training in designated areas of special importance keeping in mind the survival of majestic blue whales, deep-diving beaked whales, critically endangered false killer whales, and other marine mammals unnecessarily put in danger by Navy training.

This agreement has reflected real progress along with a strong promise by the Navy to the most meaningful protective measures that NRDC and others, supported by the marine science community, have wanted since long. It has come up as a major breakthrough in the relationship between the Navy and the oceans.

A Navy spokesperson for the Pacific Fleet said earlier this week that the Navy has agreed to the settlement because it has faced ‘an actual risk that the court would halt critically important testing and training’, which is must for the preparation of missions in support of our national security.

Navy actually had a reason to worry about as in a decision issued in previous spring in the cases settled this week, the US District Judge Susan Oki Mollway rejected the Navy’s position in no uncertain terms, under several environmental laws.

On facing such unequivocal language, the Navy decided to negotiate rather than elevate the battle to the appellate court. While doing so, it showed an encouraging evolution in the perspective of its leadership.