Marine Mammals

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has published the aboriginal subsistence whaling quota for bowhead whales that NMFS has assigned to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. NMFS has also published the limitations on the use of the quota deriving from regulations of the International Whaling Commission. For 2015, the quota is 75 bowhead whales struck. This quota and other applicable limitations govern the harvest of bowhead whales by members of the AEWC.

Click here to read NMFS’ Federal Register notice of this action.

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has published its 12-month finding on a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity to revise the critical habitat designation for the Southern Resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) Distinct Population Segment under the Endangered Species Act. In November 2006 NMFS issued a final rule designating approximately 2,560 square miles (6,630 square km) of inland waters of Washington State as critical habitat for the Southern Resident killer whale DPS. CBD’s January 2014 petition requests that NMFS revise this critical habitat to include Pacific Ocean marine waters along the West Coast of the United States that constitute essential foraging and wintering areas for Southern Resident killer whales. Additionally, the petition requests that NMFS adopt as a primary constituent element for both currently designated critical habitat and the proposed revised critical habitat, protective in-water sound levels. NMFS has reviewed the public comments and best available information on Southern Resident killer whale habitat use. NMFS’ 12-month determination describes how the Service intends to proceed with the requested revision.

The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) Workshops will be held on Monday 16 March – Tuesday 17 March 2015, in Brighton, UK, (immediately following WhaleFest 2015).

“The WCA Workshops: Four Global Programs to Protect Cetaceans”, will see cetacean experts and advocates from across the world gather to discuss and plan strategies for protecting whales, dolphins and porpoises through the WCA Partnership. Implementation of these Global Programs will be the top priority for the World Cetacean Alliance during 2015/16 and beyond.

On January 25, 2013, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service received a petition submitted by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Foundation to remove the exclusion of captive animals from the endangered species listing of Southern Resident killer whale DPS, as well as, recognize the captive killer whale (Orcinus orca) ‘‘Lolita’’ as a protected member of the endangered Southern Resident killer whale Distinct Population Segment (DPS).

NMFS has completed a status review and published a proposed rule. NMFS has now amended the regulatory language of the Endangered Species Act listing of the DPS by removing the exclusion for captive members of the population.

Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, et al. recently published Effects of noise and by-catch on a Danish harbour porpoise population, doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.09.025 .This study includes the following :

The U.S. National Marine Fishing Service has reviewed the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regional marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act. SARs for marine mammals in the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regions were revised according to new information. NMFS solicits public comments on the draft 2014 SARs by April 29, 2015.

Click here to read NMFS’ Federal Register notice of revised SARs.

The abstract and early registration deadline for the Watkins Memorial Marine Mammal Bioacoustics Symposium, to be held 26-29 March 2015 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, has been extended to January 31. Please visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s website for more information or contact Laela Sayigh (lsayigh@whoi.edu) with any questions about the event.

The following article is being published in the Journal of Wildlife Management: Christiansen, F., Bertulli, C.G., Rasmussen, M. & Lusseau, D. 2015. Estimating Cumulative Exposure of Wildlife to Non-Lethal Disturbance Using Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture Models. The Journal of Wildlife Management. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.836. The article’s abstract reads as follows:

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has published an article that discusses the population rebound of Northern elephant seals, and that provides guidelines for safely observing them. Part of NMFS’ article follows:

“Northern elephant seals were once thought to be extinct following decades of intense hunting beginning in the 1700’s. Fortunately, in the early 20th century, a scientific expedition from the California Academy of Sciences discovered a colony of approximately 30 northern elephant seals on the Isla de Guadalupe off Mexico.

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has published notice of its receipt of an application from Point Blue Conservation Science requesting an Incidental Harassment Authorization to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting proposed seabird research activities on Southeast Farallon Island, Ano Nuevo Island, and Point Reyes National Seashore in central California from January 2015 through January 2016. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NMFS requests comments on its proposed issuance of an Authorization to Point Blue to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, four species of marine mammals during the year-long monitoring project.