Federal appeals court rejects Navy sonar-use rules

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the U.S. Navy was wrongly allowed to use sonar in the nation's oceans that could harm whales and other marine life.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision upholding approval granted in 2012 for the Navy to use low-frequency sonar for training, testing and routine operations.

The 2012 rules adopted by the National Marine Fisheries Service permitted Navy sonar use to affect about 30 whales and two dozen pinnipeds, marine mammals with front and rear flippers such as seals and sea lions, each year.