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Navy to Use Dolphins and Sea Lions in Anti-Terrorism Fight

February 12, 2007 09:45 AM

by findingDulcinea Staff

Following a long history of military animals, the Navy plans to use mammals to prevent waterborne terrorist attacks despite objections from animal rights groups who argue this is a dangerous and ineffective practice.

30 Second Summary

As many as 30 sea lions and dolphins could be employed by the Navy Marine Mammal Program to detect and apprehend terrorists in the Puget Sound off the coast of Washington state. If used, the animals will be tasked with detecting underwater mines and even handcuffing suspicious divers.

P.E.T.A. [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals], however, claims that this practice is not only an ineffective means of defense, but also a dangerous and cruel use of animals.

If these dolphins and sea lions are used they will be following a long tradition of animals used for military purposes. During World War II, military dogs were used on patrol, as scouts, and even as messengers. And as recently as 2003 the Navy has used Dolphin to detect underwater mines.

Headline

Dolphins and sea lions trained by the Navy Marine Mammal Program may patrol the Puget Sound off the coast of Washington state for terrorist waterborne attacks. The dolphins have been trained to detect and notify the Navy of underwater mines. Sea lions have been trained to clamp a cuff attached to a long rope to the leg of a possible terrorist.

Source: SignOnSanDiego.com

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Background

This would mark at least the second time dolphins have been used in the war on terror. In 2003, bottle-neck dolphins were used by the U.S. Navy to detect underwater mines in the port city of Umm Qasr, Iraq.

Source: Hawaii News

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The Navy Marine Mammal Program studies, trains and deploys marine mammals. The program which began in 1960, has found that dolphins are uniquely apt at locating sea mines.

Source: U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program

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P.E.T.A. opposes the use of animals for military-related activities and reports that since 1965 at least a dozen animals have died in mine retrieval.

Source: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

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Historical

In World War I, dogs were used to lay wire for telephone services with a roll of wire strapped to their backs. In Vietnam, dolphins were trained to attack enemy divers and bring them to Navy officials for interrogation in the South Vietnamese harbors.

Source: A Survey of the Use of Animals in Warfare

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The Pentagon is considering implanting sharks with remote control devices to track otherwise undetected vessels near the Florida coast. In an interview with New Scientists, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) stated, “remote-controlled sharks…are silent and they power themselves.”

Source: BBC News

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Mine Detection Dogs are responsible for half of all land mines detected and cleared in Afghanistan. The Mine Detection Dog Centre operations manager explained: “We train these dogs to sense explosives no matter if it is in a metallic or plastic container. They are very efficient and cost effective.”