Environmental impact of seismic prospecting

14.02.2025

CHARACTERISTICS OF SEISMIC PROSPECTING.

An oil industry activity, an exploration vessel tows air cannons that fire underwater every 8 to 20 seconds. The sounds can exceed 250 dB. A vessel can carry up to 20 cannons, each firing every 6 to 20 seconds, sometimes for 24 hours a day. Therefore, the transmission of acoustic pulses is repetitive and continuous throughout the exploration period. It is important to note that sounds propagate more quickly in water and with less energy loss than in air.

Sound becomes harmful at 75 dB and painful at around 120 dB. The human ear needs just over 16 hours of rest to compensate for two hours of exposure to 100 dB. Above 180 decibels, the threshold of death is reached.

The noise generated by a single seismic survey can spread over more than 300,000 km2. Sound waves travel to the ocean floor, penetrating the seafloor, and reflecting back to the surface. This reflection is picked up by sensors placed on tow lines behind the vessel. The collected data creates maps of the seafloor that companies use to determine the presence of hydrocarbons.

There are abundant studies related to these seismic prospecting activities in different countries around the world. The reports already prepared, along with the experience gathered, are as clear as they are striking.

It is well known that seismic activity and its detrimental effects on fishing resources are abruptly depleted. This point cannot be denied, as lessons have been learned from the region and the world.

These consequences on the marine ecosystem would cause a very strong blow to a small country like ours,

Species are driven away by waves emitted by high-pressure compressed air, which can reach up to 6 km below the seabed.

The damage to marine life and fauna is considerable; seismic activity threatens the lives of organisms of all sizes, from those at the base of the food chain, such as zooplankton, to well-known predators.

It compromises the life of fish and invertebrates in the larval stage, as well as causing disorientation, behavioral changes, stress, hearing impairment, massive injuries and even death in mammals and birds.

Impact on Fisheries and Families.

Affected by the activities.

Many families will be affected in the industrial and artisanal fishing sectors. Fishing will be affected for more than two years, without any income. The damage will not only be related to the lack of money, but will also leave their social relationships considerably damaged, forcing them to turn to other activities for which most will be unprepared.

The damage will lead to significant losses and the possibility of not returning to established jobs.

Workers will bear the brunt of this entire project. The industry will be directly affected by the loss of the invertebrate fishery resource, on which many cetaceans feed. Food chains and marine diversity in the exploration area will cease to exist.

Companies working in logistics will also be affected. Those linked to the fishing sector will be at considerable risk, having to lay off their factory staff.

It will be necessary to plan for the restoration of work for the affected families, and to explore the possibility of obtaining the conditions granted in the surveys carried out in other parts of the world, such as Brazil, Argentina, and Spain, to name a few countries.

SUBSIDIES FOR WORKERS

The subsidy is a way to mitigate the loss of income for affected families, as necessary as it is vital for the stability of workers.

In the countries where the subsidy was granted, it was the most effective solution to the problem generated by seismic activity during the exploration period.

The damage will be considered, and the inevitable loss, if we want to be one of the world's oil-producing countries, is a very high cost we must pay.

And hydrocarbon companies must be held accountable for such damage not only to the environment, but also to the entire fishing industry.

These seismic activities could be considered a catastrophic impact, a natural disaster from which a person alone cannot recover. State assistance is needed to alleviate this crisis caused by the oil industry. In Spain and other countries, as we know, compensation has been provided for these activities. We must follow the same path taken by these countries and the affected workers to obtain the necessary assistance.

To mitigate the economic impact on workers due to the low catches caused by seismic survey activities, the following palliative compensation measures are proposed:

• Financial Compensation.

Provide direct financial compensation to affected fishermen to cover their lost income.

• Incentives for job continuity.

Find ways to keep fishing boats operating, offering additional incentives to ensure fishermen maintain their jobs and continue to work.

• Training and Relocation Programs

Create training programs so fishermen can diversify their skills and access new job opportunities within the maritime sector, to prepare their role for future restructuring and entry into the offshore labor market. A necessary retraining for their future.

Uruguay and its image, a natural country.

URUGUAY NATURAL

Uruguay's projections in the global offshore arena and its position as a future oil and gas producer lead us to wonder: Will Uruguay's tourism, the main activity for its residents, be directly affected?

How will it manage its image of sustainability with its green energy sources? It will no longer be its flagship, which has generated tourism revenue for years.

The infrastructure in Uruguayan ports to support offshore vessels is nonexistent. What we are referring to in this analysis is the reception of oily waste from vessels working with platforms.

Pollution from the platforms will be a problem for the environment, with hydrocarbon leaks and constant, thick smoke emissions.

This is the reality of how a country will cease to be natural and will begin to work for the oil industry. A country with no history of exploiting the resource has no way to negotiate anything.

This leaves us in a vulnerable position in every way. If we don't set the guidelines at this initial stage, it will be very difficult for us to demand fair working conditions for workers in the future.

Analysis and systematization of information on marine biodiversity in Uruguay.

URUGUAYAN MARINE SPACE

Uruguay has marine protected areas protected by the National Directorate of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (DINABISE) of the Ministry of Environment (MA).

The Uruguayan blue sea covers more than 200,000 km2 of marine ecosystems with high biodiversity.

Environment Minister Adrián Peña stated that Uruguay has resolved to increase its marine protected area from the current 0.7% to 10% by the end of 2022. He assured that a "roadmap" called "Blue Uruguay 2030" will be implemented, which will allow the country to reach the goal of 30% by 2030 through a marine spatial planning process.

It is home and a migratory route for diverse marine species, including whales, dolphins, sea lions, seabirds, fish, rays, and sharks.

The oceans and marine ecosystems are reaching a critical point in terms of sustainability. There is a worrying trend toward deterioration, which jeopardizes the loss of vital habitats and the ability to provide essential and irreplaceable ecosystem services. We must emphasize that the surveys will be carried out during closed seasons, a key time for the various species and their recovery.

Among the pressures and impacts currently facing coastal and marine ecosystems within exclusive economic zones are: overexploitation of biological resources, physical alteration of habitats due to fishing nets, dredging, underwater cable laying, maritime traffic, plastic and chemical pollution, the introduction of invasive alien species, the search for and exploitation of hydrocarbons, and the effects of climate change.

Links to cited information.

información de analisis

· https://www.tgs.com/seismic/marine-acquisition

· https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ambiente/cambio-climatico/audiencia-publica-012021/expedientes

· https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-85296-1?fromPaywallRec=false

· https://ladiaria.com.uy/ambiente/articulo/2022/12/cuales-son-los-territorios-marinos-que-el-ministerio-de-ambiente-ve-como-principales-candidatos-para-ingresar-al-sistema-nacional-de-areas-protegidas/#:~:text=En%20la%20actualidad%2C%20existen%20dos,y%20sus%20corales%20de%20profundidad.

· https://ladiaria.com.uy/ambiente/articulo/2022/12/cuales-son-los-territorios-marinos-que-el-ministerio-de-ambiente-ve-como-principales-candidatos-para-ingresar-al-sistema-nacional-de-areas-protegidas/#:~:text=En%20la%20actualidad%2C%20existen%20dos,y%20sus%20corales%20de%20profundidad.

· https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-ambiente/comunicacion/publicaciones/analisis-sistematizacion-informacion-sobre-biodiversidad-marina-uruguay

· https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-ambiente/comunicacion/noticias/dia-oceanos-se-anuncio-ingreso-nueva-area-marina-protegida

· https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-ambiente/comunicacion/noticias/pena-presenta-hoja-ruta-uruguay-azul-2030-anuncia-compromiso-alcanzar-10-area

· https://ladiaria.com.uy/ambiente/articulo/2025/2/empresarios-y-pescadores-alertan-sobre-los-impactos-que-podria-traer-la-sismica-impulsada-por-las-companias-petroleras/