Marine Mammals

The Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Lab at the University of Queensland is seeking expressions of interest from volunteers for a five-and-a-half week behavioural response study (BRS) on humpback whales from September 19 to October 26 this year. The study will examine how humpback whale behaviour is affected by noise from seismic air guns. It is the fourth and last in a series of experiments, known as the Behavioural Responses of Australian Humpback whales to Seismic Surveys (BRAHSS) project, that has been examining this issue since 2010 in collaboration with the University of Sydney, Curtin University, the Australian Marine Mammal Centre, the University of Newcastle and Blue Planet Marine.

The National Marine Fisheries Service has published its aboriginal subsistence whaling quota for bowhead whales that it has assigned to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC).  NMFS has also published limitations on the use of the quota deriving from regulations of the International Whaling Commission. For 2014, 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 quota.

In the framework of the 28th ECS Conference (Liege, 2014), Pelagos
Sanctuary plans a workshop entitled “Scientific progress on cetaceans and
perspectives in the Pelagos Sanctuary” that will run on the 5th of April
2014 during the all day.

The Pelagos Sanctuary is an international agreement between France, Italy
and the Principality of Monaco signed in 1999 and entered into force in
2002, for conciliating social and economic activities development with
marine mammals and habitat protection, in compliance with a management
plan. With about 87,500 sq. km, most of which lie in high Seas, the Pelagos
Sanctuary is registered as a Special Protected Area of Mediterranean
Importance (SPAMI)The aim of this workshop is to implement an assessment of the scientificactivities on marine mammals conducted in the Pelagos area since itscreation, identify the gaps and perspectives to be developed. Focus will bdevoted on the following topics:

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS has announced its intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The SEIS will evaluate proposed changes in the management of the northern fur seal subsistence harvest on St. George Island, AK. The SEIS will supplement the 2005 Final Environmental Impact Statement for Setting the Annual Subsistence Harvest of Northern Fur Seals on the Pribilof Islands. NMFS decided to prepare an SEIS because the proposed action would make substantial changes to the action analyzed in the 2005 EIS that are relevant to environmental effects.

Click here to read more.

A recent National Geographic Daily News article is entitled: “Study: Planning Can Protect Whales in Seismic Surveys.” This article states:

“Whale experts have teamed up with the oil and gas industry to develop a step-by-step guide for reducing the impacts of noise pollution from marine seismic surveys on whales and other marine species.The paper, published in the current issue of the journal Aquatic Mammals, was the result of a collaboration between scientists with the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel and the Russian consortium, Sakhalin Energy Investment.”

***

On Sunday 6 April 2014 at the upcoming Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, there will be an international workshop on “Introducing noise into the marine environment: what are the requirements for an impact assessment for marine mammals?”

Background: Noise from anthropogenic sources is a pervasive influence on today’s marine environment. It may come from shipping, smaller craft, seismic surveys, pile driving, or sonar, amongst others. Negative impacts have been demonstrated on a wide range of marine mammals although population consequences are more difficult to ascertain.

On Saturday 5 April 2014 (afternoon) at the upcoming Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, there will be an international workshop to discuss current problems faced by aquatic mammals that inhabit Latin American waters. The perspective of the continent’s economic growth and the consequent use and degradation of its rivers and coastal zones constitutes a matter of concern for the conservation of coastal and riverine aquatic mammals. A large set of construction works is planned for the establishment of hydroelectric powerplants, harbours, shipyards and industries on Latin American rivers and coastal bays.

If you would like to present or just attend, please contact:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. This Information Collection is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2014.  FWS may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. However, under OMB regulations, FWS may continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB.

Comments on this ICR must be submitted or before February 27, 2014.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  has revised its stock assessment report for the southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) stock in California State. The revised SAR incorporates public comments.  The final revised SAR is available here.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation has published a report entitled:  Marine Renewable Energy: A Global Review of the Extent of Marine Renewable Energy Developments, the Developing Technologies and Possible Conservation Implications for Cetaceans.

The report pulls together all the current information on the impacts of marine renewable developments on cetaceans, and different countries approaches to these developments. The report is aimed at helping governments, developers and other key parties in the marine renewable energy industry to make the best-informed decisions as to where and how to site their facilities.

To download the report, or for German and Spanish Executive summaries, Click here for to WDC website.