scholarly journals Marine mammal strandings in the northern Palk Bay from 2009 to 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 18313-18318
Author(s):  
Vedharajan Balaji ◽  
Veeramuthu Sekar
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Technical Training ◽  
Intensive Monitoring ◽  
Palk Bay ◽  
Effective Conservation ◽  
Fishing Practices

Globally, the marine mammal population has been under threat due to various human activities.  Data on stranding of these animals that are important for effective conservation planning and management, however, are not available in most of the developing countries.  This paper presents observations on marine mammal strandings in northern Palk Bay, the southeastern coast of India over the last decade.  In total, 21 stranding events consisting of 23 marine mammals were observed from 2009 to 2020.  These stranded mammals include a Humpback Dolphin, a Blue Whale, two Finless Porpoises, and 19 Dugongs.  The evident reason for the death of the dugongs and the porpoise being fishing activities, regulations on fishing practices, and intensive monitoring of the existing dugong population and their habitats are necessary.  This study recommends for establishment of conservation reserve, and setting up district-level marine mammal rescue and release units in Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, and Ramanathapuram districts, comprising fishers and line departments. These units need to be sufficiently equipped in terms of equipment and infrastructure, and periodical technical training and workshops on marine mammal rescue and release procedures to quickly respond and handle marine mammal strandings in the area.

Recommendations for Sustainable Cetacean-Based Tourism in French Territories: A Review on the Industry and Current Management Actions

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-235
Author(s):  
Josephine Chazot ◽  
Ludovic Hoarau ◽  
Pamela Carzon ◽  
Jeanne Wagner ◽  
Stéphanie Sorby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Whale Watching ◽  
Cetacean Species ◽  
Commercial Activities ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Overseas Territories ◽  
Socioeconomic Benefits

Whale-watching activities provide important socioeconomic benefits for local communities and constitute powerful platform incentives for marine mammals' protection or more broadly marine environments. However, these activities can cause adverse effects on targeted populations, with considerable downside associated risks of injuries and fatality for whale watchers during inwater interactions. France with its overseas territories has the second largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ), in which more than half of existing cetacean species are encountered. In these territories, recreational and commercial whale watching, including swim-with cetacean activities, have recently developed. Yet few studies focused on these activities and their associated impacts across French territories, leading to an unclear assessment of the situation. To address this issue, we reviewed cetaceans' occurrence within the French EEZ, whale-watching industry, targeted species, local management of marine mammal-based tourism activities, and regulations in France mainland and some overseas territories (Reunion Island, Mayotte, and French Polynesia). Fortyeight species are encountered in the French EEZ, and 15 are targeted by whale-watching activities. A total of 185 operators, including 34% offering swim-with-cetaceans tours, offered trips in France and overseas in 2019. While several more or less restrictive regulations exist locally, our results indicate that French's national legal framework for marine mammals' protection remains inadequate and insufficient to cope with the recent development of this activity. As conservation biologists, managers, and stakeholders from these French territories, we cooperated to provide general guidelines for a sustainable development of whale watching at a national scale. We urge (1) to legally acknowledge and regulate whale-watching commercial activities; (2) to create a national legal framework regarding whale watching and swim-with marine mammals practices, while accounting for local distinctiveness and disparities across regions; (3) to conduct more research to evaluate local short- and long-term impacts on targeted marine mammal populations as well as the socioeconomic benefits; and (4) to reinforce synergetic relations between the different stakeholders.

scholarly journals Cetacean Research and Citizen Science in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Gilbert Mwango’mbe ◽  
Jane Spilsbury ◽  
Steve Trott ◽  
Judith Nyunja ◽  
Nina Wambiji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Pilot Whale ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Mammal Conservation ◽  
Kenyan Coast

In 2011, several non-governmental and government agencies established the Kenya Marine Mammal Network (KMMN) to provide a platform for the consistent collection of data on marine mammals along the Kenyan coast, identify areas of importance and engage marine users and the general public in marine mammal conservation. Prior to the KMMN, relatively little was known about marine mammals in Kenya, limiting conservation strategies. The KMMN collects data nationwide through dedicated surveys, opportunistic sightings and participative citizen science, currently involving more than 100 contributors. This paper reviews data on sightings and strandings for small cetaceans in Kenya collated by the KMMN. From 2011 to 2019, 792 records of 11 species of small cetaceans were documented. The most frequently reported inshore species were the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin and Indian Ocean humpback dolphin. Offshore species, included killer whales, short-finned pilot whale and long-snouted spinner dolphin. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, long-snouted spinner dolphins, striped dolphins and Risso’s dolphins were recorded through stranding reports. The efforts of the KMMN were disseminated through international meetings (International Whaling Commission, World Marine Mammal Conference), national status reports, outreach and social media. Data has also supported the identification of three IUCN Important Marine Mammal Areas and one Area of Interest in Kenya. Further research is needed to improve estimates of cetacean abundance and distribution, particularly in unstudied coastal areas, and to assess the extent of anthropogenic threats associated with fisheries, coastal and port development, seismic exercises and unregulated tourism. The expansion of the network should benefit from the participation of remote coastal fishing communities, government research agencies, tourism and seismic operations, among others. The KMMN demonstrated the value of dedicated and citizen science data to enhance marine mammal conservation strategies to boost awareness and eco-tourism and to bring the public and science closer together, promoting research and effective conservation efforts.

scholarly journals Resurgence of an apex marine predator and the decline in prey body size

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (52) ◽  
pp. 26682-26689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Ohlberger ◽  
Daniel E. Schindler ◽  
Eric J. Ward ◽  
Timothy E. Walsworth ◽  
Timothy E. Essington
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Marine Predator

In light of recent recoveries of marine mammal populations worldwide and heightened concern about their impacts on marine food webs and global fisheries, it has become increasingly important to understand the potential impacts of large marine mammal predators on prey populations and their life-history traits. In coastal waters of the northeast Pacific Ocean, marine mammals have increased in abundance over the past 40 to 50 y, including fish-eating killer whales that feed primarily on Chinook salmon. Chinook salmon, a species of high cultural and economic value, have exhibited marked declines in average size and age throughout most of their North American range. This raises the question of whether size-selective predation by marine mammals is generating these trends in life-history characteristics. Here we show that increased predation since the 1970s, but not fishery selection alone, can explain the changes in age and size structure observed for Chinook salmon populations along the west coast of North America. Simulations suggest that the decline in mean size results from the selective removal of large fish and an evolutionary shift toward faster growth and earlier maturation caused by selection. Our conclusion that intensifying predation by fish-eating killer whales contributes to the continuing decline in Chinook salmon body size points to conflicting management and conservation objectives for these two iconic species.

scholarly journals The impacts of climate change on marine mammals: early signs of significant problems

Oryx ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark P. Simmonds ◽  
Stephen J. Isaac
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Baleen Whale ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Conservation Plans ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change is now known to be affecting the oceans. It is widely anticipated that impacts on marine mammals will be mediated primarily via changes in prey distribution and abundance and that the more mobile (or otherwise adaptable) species may be able to respond to this to some extent. However, the extent of this adaptability is largely unknown. Meanwhile, within the last few years direct observations have been made of several marine mammal populations that illustrate reactions to climate change. These observations indicate that certain species and populations may be especially vulnerable, including those with a limited habitat range, such as the vaquita Phocoena sinus, or those for which sea ice provides an important part of their habitat, such as narwhals Monodon monoceros, bowhead Balaena mysticetus and beluga Delphinapterus leucas whales and polar bears Ursus maritimus. Similarly, there are concerns about those species that migrate to feeding grounds in polar regions because of rapidly changing conditions there, and this includes many baleen whale populations. This review highlights the need to take projected impacts into account in future conservation and management plans, including species assessments. How this should be done in an adequately precautionary manner offers a significant challenge to those involved in such processes, although it is possible to identify at this time at least some species and populations that may be regarded as especially vulnerable. Marine ecosystems modellers and marine mammal experts will need to work together to make such assessments and conservation plans as robust as possible.

Marine mammals and Japanese long-line fishing vessels in Australian waters: operational interactions and sightings

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Bell ◽  
Peter Shaughnessy ◽  
Margie Morrice ◽  
Bob Stanley
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Fishing Gear ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
Long Line ◽  
Target Fish ◽  
Pilot Whales ◽  
Warm Temperate

Observers from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority worked on randomly chosen Japanese long-line vessels in the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) between 1980 and 1997. Observer reports (n = 451) were inspected for interactions or sightings of marine mammals. An operational interaction was defined as an activity or behaviour that involved direct contact between a marine mammal and fishing gear, bait, target fish or bycatch, or indications that the marine mammal was feeding. A sighting was defined as the recording of marine mammals that passed the vessel without changing course and/or did not appear to interact with the vessel or its gear. Observers witnessed 23 interactions and made another 44 sightings of marine mammals. A further 24 interactions and sightings were relayed by crew members. Killer whales were reported most frequently: most incidences of fish being damaged, taken or frightened away were attributed to them. Eleven marine mammals were caught: two died, seven were released, and the fate of two others was not recorded. Between 1991 and 1996, when observer coverage was 11.5% overall in the AFZ, the incidence of interactions was 1.71 per million hooks set. The estimated number of interactions in that seven-year period was 157 in the AFZ. Since 1997, the long-line fishery has been conducted by Australian vessels, primarily off the east coast of mainland Australia in warm-temperate waters. A higher proportion of interactions can be expected with killer whales and short-finned pilot whales in these waters, and fewer with seals.

scholarly journals Effective conservation planning requires learning and adaptation

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 431-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hedley S Grantham ◽  
Michael Bode ◽  
Eve McDonald-Madden ◽  
Edward T Game ◽  
Andrew T Knight ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Learning And Adaptation ◽  
Effective Conservation

scholarly journals Marine mammals' influence on ecosystem processes affecting fisheries in the Barents Sea is trivial

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J Corkeron
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Fishery Management ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Primary Component ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Balaenoptera Acutorostrata ◽  
The Barents Sea

Some interpretations of ecosystem-based fishery management include culling marine mammals as an integral component. The current Norwegian policy on marine mammal management is one example. Scientific support for this policy includes the Scenario Barents Sea (SBS) models. These modelled interactions between cod, Gadus morhua , herring, Clupea harengus , capelin, Mallotus villosus and northern minke whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata . Adding harp seals Phoca groenlandica into this top-down modelling approach resulted in unrealistic model outputs. Another set of models of the Barents Sea fish–fisheries system focused on interactions within and between the three fish populations, fisheries and climate. These model key processes of the system successfully. Continuing calls to support the SBS models despite their failure suggest a belief that marine mammal predation must be a problem for fisheries. The best available scientific evidence provides no justification for marine mammal culls as a primary component of an ecosystem-based approach to managing the fisheries of the Barents Sea.

scholarly journals Distribution and Habitat Preference of Sloth Bear in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 9-17
Author(s):  
Dinesh Ghimire ◽  
Tej Bahadur Thapa
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Habitat Preference ◽  
National Park ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Sal Forest ◽  
Chitwan National Park ◽  
Sloth Bear ◽  
Effective Conservation

Effective conservation of Sloth bear requires detailed information regarding their distribution and habitat use. This study attempted to generate baseline data on distribution and habitat preference of Sloth Bear in Chitwan National Park, Nepal during March–May 2012. The study area was divided into 74 grids each measuring 16 Km2. Of the total grids, 35 were randomly selected for occupancy sampling. A total of 288 spatial replicates were sampled in 35 different grids recording 87 direct or indirect evidences of Sloth bear. Among them, 50 diggings, 25 scats, four scrapes with live animals in eight points were detected in four different habitat types of the Park. The variance to mean ratio showed clumped distribution of Sloth bear. The RPI values revealed that the mixed forest was found to be most preferred (RPI = 0.42) by Sloth Bear followed by grassland (RPI = 0.21). Riverine forest and Sal forest were less preferred (RPI = -0.25 and -0.11 respectively) but not avoided. Distribution of Sloth bear was influenced by distance to nearest water sources, distance to road and altitude. Similarly, disturbances like human activities, presence of cattle and fi re were found to affect the distribution of Sloth bear.J. Nat. Hist. Mus. Vol. 28, 2014: 9-17

scholarly journals Upper tidal flats are disproportionately important for the conservation of migratory shorebirds

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1928) ◽  
pp. 20200278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Mu ◽  
David S. Wilcove
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Tidal Flats ◽  
Coastal Development ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Migratory Shorebirds ◽  
Stopover Sites ◽  
Ecological Understanding ◽  
Effective Conservation ◽  
Foraging Time

Migratory animals play vital ecological roles in ecosystems worldwide, yet many species are threatened by human activities. Understanding the detailed patterns of habitat use throughout the migration cycle is critical to developing effective conservation strategies for these species. Migratory shorebirds undertake some of the longest known migrations, but they are also declining precipitously worldwide. To better understand the dynamics of shorebird declines along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, we quantified the spatiotemporal foraging distribution of 17 migratory shorebirds at two critical stopover sites. We found that shorebirds exhibit substantial interspecific and site-specific differences in their foraging distributions. Notwithstanding these differences, however, the upper tidal flats appear to be especially important to most shorebirds by providing more than 70% of the birds' cumulative foraging time, twofold greater than their proportional area. Because the upper tidal flats are also more prone to coastal development, our findings may help to explain why shorebird populations along the flyway have declined much faster than the overall rate of tidal flat loss. Our work highlights the importance of protecting upper tidal flats to conserve migratory shorebirds and demonstrates the value of a detailed ecological understanding of habitat usage by migratory animals for conservation planning.

scholarly journals Marine mammals through time: when less is more in studying palaeodiversity

2008 ◽  
Vol 276 (1658) ◽  
pp. 887-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix G Marx
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Sedimentary Rock ◽  
Rock Outcrop ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
Apparent Correlation ◽  
Mammal Evolution ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Mammal Diversity ◽  
Marine Sedimentary Rock

The validity of biological explanations of patterns of palaeodiversity has been called into question owing to an apparent correlation of diversity with the amount of sedimentary rock preserved. However, this claim has largely been based on comprehensive estimates of global marine Phanerozoic diversity, thus raising the question of whether a similar bias applies to the records of smaller, well-defined taxonomic groups. Here, new data on European Caenozoic marine sedimentary rock outcrop area are presented and compared with European occurrences of three groups of marine mammals (cetaceans, pinnipedimorphs and sirenians). Limited evidence was found for a correlation of outcrop area with marine mammal palaeodiversity. In addition, similar patterns were identified in the cetacean and pinnipedimorph diversity data. This may point to the preservation of a genuine biological signal not overwhelmed by geological biases in the marine mammal diversity data, and opens the door to further analyses of both marine mammal evolution and geological bias in other small and well-defined groups of taxa.

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