Download or read book Understanding the Co occurrence of Large Whales and Commercial Fixed Gear Fisheries Off the West Coast of the United States written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Large whale entanglement in commercial fishing gear off the U.S. west coast has been identified as an issue of concern by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) because of the potential impacts to both large whales (individually and at a stock/population level) and the commercial fishing industry. Large whales entangled in gear may be injured and/or impared which could affect the ability of individuals to survive and a population's ability to recover. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) were included in this study based on their distribution and density associated with habitat, as modeled through multi-year ship-based surveys or migration studies and/or historic entanglement records. Along the U.S. west coast, an average of 10 large whales have been reported entangled between 2000 and 2012. Little information has been confirmed from entanglement reports about the origin of the entangling fishing gear; therefore NMFS has developed analytical tools to assess the potential entanglement risk associated with various fixed gear fisheries relative to their co-occurrence with large whale species. A primary tool includes the development of a model to represent the spatial and temporal distributions of commercial fishing effort, focusing on fixed gear fisheries with gear that has been confirmed as entangling whales through sightings and strandings of entangled animals and or has the potential for causing entanglement based on similarities in the general configuration of gear across the fisheries. Fishing effort represented in this study, both state and federally managed, was derived from landings data obtained through the Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN). The relative density of fishing effort throughout the calendar year was overlaid with species-specific whale distribution patterns, modeled from systematically-collected marine mammal survey data, to help identify spatial and temporal overlap between whales and fisheries. The other tool developed, a co-occurrence model, identified potential species-specific elevated risk areas where and when large whales are more likely to encounter fishing gear, which is the first step in assessment of whale entanglement risk associated with fixed-gear fisheries on the U.S. west coast. Co-occurrence "scores" were calculated based on correlated area, time, and density of overlap between fixed gear fisheries and whale distribution. Overall, the Dungeness crab trap fishery had the highest co-occurrence scores, and associated entanglement risk, with all whale species included in the model. Confirmed entanglement reports were compared with model results. Alignment of known entanglement locations with areas of higher co-occurrence scores supported the use of the co-occurrence model for assessment of whale entanglement risk off the U.S. west coast. Research on the identified elevated risk areas, combined with the ability to trace gear continued gear research, and strengthened outreach to improve reporting, should improve the ability to minimize or mitigate the risk of large whale entanglements.

Download or read book Assessment of Entanglement Risk written by Samantha C. Macks and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 2014, reports of whale entanglements have spiked along the U.S. West Coast from an average of 10 confirmed cases per year to up to 71 reported entanglements in 2016. The commercial fixed gear Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) fishery has been the most identifiable gear in confirmed whale entanglements. The continued high number of reported whale entanglements has warranted fishery managers, fishermen, and other stakeholders to look into solutions to reducing the number of entangled whales; however, a better understanding of where and why these entanglement rates have spiked is needed. Previous efforts by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to understand entanglement risk designed a co-occurrence model to assess entanglement risk along the West Coast by overlaying landings data with species-specific whale density and distribution patterns to produce relative co-occurrence scores as an indicator for risk. The purpose of this study was to create a vertical line co-occurrence model between large whales and the commercial Dungeness crab fishery; as NMFS indicated in their previous model, that the use of gear density instead of the number of pounds landed to represent fishing effort provides a better understanding of high entanglement risk areas. This research provides a comparison to previous co-occurrence modeling efforts, highlights the areas and months of high entanglement risk, and compares risk areas over several time periods. The vertical line co-occurrence models piloted in this study created a new understanding of areas of entanglement risk for large whales in recent years to aid future efforts by NMFS and fishery managers to mitigate large whale entanglements.

Download or read book Animal Welfare in a Changing World written by Andrew Butterworth and published by CABI. This book was released on 2018-09-24 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contemporary and challenging, this thought-provoking book outlines a number of the key dilemmas in animal welfare today and tomorrow. The key issues range from the welfare of fur and fashion animals to debates around intensive farming versus sustainability and climate change, to animals in tourism, rodeos, races and fiestas. The human-animal welfare impact is explored, including human impact on marine mammals, fish, wildlife, companion and farm animals, together with our impact on zoo and laboratory animals. Animal Welfare in a Changing World gives: - Concise, highly readable summaries on the important issues in animal welfare by world experts and key opinion leaders - Opinions which are balanced with an evidence-based approach and are challenging - Color illustrations and links to videos to further illustrate the debates - A wide-ranging collection of case studies and descriptions of animal welfare topics which outline the dilemmas to anchor them in the real world This must-read book is essential for animal and veterinary scientists, ethologists, policy and opinion leaders, NGOs, conservation biologists and indeed anyone who feels passionately about the welfare of animals.

Download or read book Recent Information on the Status of Large Whales in California Coastal Waters written by Jay Barlow and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Whale Protection and the Impact on North Atlantic Fisheries written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Recent Information on the Status of Large Whales in California Waters written by Jay Barlow and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Entanglements written by Tora Johnson and published by University Press of Florida. This book was released on 2007-09-23 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Entanglements explores the clash of cultures and personalities among fishermen, scientists, and whale advocates struggling to save both the endangered North Atlantic right whale and the livelihoods of thousands of Atlantic coastal families. By most counts, about 300 of these whales remain in the North Atlantic, and scientists warn that collisions with fishing gear are contributing to their decline. The political climate that surrounds the world's most endangered large whale is contentious, complex, and heartrending. Without pointing fingers or laying blame, Tora Johnson explores every side of the issue. She takes us to sea with fishermen who struggle to stay in business, setting traps and gillnets in the whale's habitat, and with members of the rescue teams who attempt to cut away deadly rope and net from whales in the wild. Weaving their stories and her personal observations into a discussion of the science and history of the conflict, she offers an admirable balance of perceptions, backgrounds, and agendas. Her thoughtful discussion of the plight of fishermen and whales and of the frustrations between fishing communities and conservationists presents an authentic microcosm of the global conflict between human demands on the environment and nature's finite capacity for supporting those demands.

Download or read book North Atlantic Right Whales written by David W. Laist and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2017-03-29 with total page 461 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fascinating story of North Atlantic right whales—from their evolutionary origin, through a thousand-year history of relentless pursuit by whalers, to ongoing efforts to rescue them from the brink of extinction. In the cold waters of the unforgiving North Atlantic Ocean, some of the heartiest humans of medieval days ventured out in search of whales. Through the centuries, people on both sides of the Atlantic became increasingly dependent on whale oil and other cetacean products. To meet this growing demand, whaling became ever more sophisticated and intense, leading to the collapse of what was once a seemingly inexhaustible supply of large cetaceans. Central to the whale's subsequent struggle for existence has been one species—the North Atlantic right whale. Conservationist David W. Laist now provides the first complete history of the North Atlantic right whale, from its earliest encounters with humans to its close brush with extinction, to its currently precarious yet hopeful status as a conservation icon. Favored by whalers because of their high yields of oil and superior baleen, these giants became known as "the right whale to hunt," and their numbers dwindled to a mere 100 individuals worldwide. Their dire status encouraged the adoption of a ban on hunting and a treaty that formed the International Whaling Commission. Recovery of the species, however, has proven elusive. Ship strikes and entanglement in commercial fishing gear have hampered herculean efforts to restore the population. Today, only about 500 right whales live along the US and Canadian Atlantic coasts—an improvement from the early twentieth century, but still a far cry from the thousands that once graced Atlantic waters. Laist's masterpiece features an incredible collection of photographs and artwork that give life to the fascinating history that unfolds in its pages. The result is a single volume that offers a comprehensive understanding of North Atlantic right whales, the role they played in the many cultures that hunted them, and our modern attempts to help them recover.

Download or read book Large Whale Gear Research Summary written by John Kenney and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Humpback Whale Megaptera Novaeangliae Entanglements in Commercial Fishing Gear on the U S West Coast written by Rachel Assink and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2015, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on the U.S. West Coast were separated into three Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) under the Endangered Species Act, but have remained one stock under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The mismatch between stock structure and DPS structure under these two different laws has created several management challenges, particularly in terms of assessing allowable levels of human-caused mortalities. Entanglement in commercial fishing gear presents a significant source of mortality and injury for humpback whales, and entanglement reports on the West Coast have significantly increased since 2014. I address some of the implications of a future change in stock structure to match the DPS structure by assessing 1) which DPSs are most likely to be affected by entanglements, examining differential levels of mortality and serious injury, and 2) examining reductions in mortality needed to achieve management goals. I find that under a revised stock structure consistent with DPS designations, current entanglement rates exceed allowable mortality levels for the endangered Central America population.

Download or read book Large Whale Entanglements Off the U S West Coast from 1982 2017 written by and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book We Are All Whalers written by Michael J. Moore and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2022-09-07 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Relating his experiences caring for endangered whales, a veterinarian and marine scientist shows we can all share in the salvation of these imperiled animals. The image most of us have of whalers includes harpoons and intentional trauma. Yet eating commercially caught seafood leads to whales’ entanglement and slow death in rope and nets, and the global shipping routes that bring us readily available goods often lead to death by collision. We—all of us—are whalers, marine scientist and veterinarian Michael J. Moore contends. But we do not have to be. Drawing on over forty years of fieldwork with humpback, pilot, fin, and, in particular, North Atlantic right whales—a species whose population has declined more than 20 percent since 2017—Moore takes us with him as he performs whale necropsies on animals stranded on beaches, in his independent research alongside whalers using explosive harpoons, and as he tracks injured whales to deliver sedatives. The whales’ plight is a complex, confounding, and disturbing one. We learn of existing but poorly enforced conservation laws and of perennial (and often failed) efforts to balance the push for fisheries profit versus the protection of endangered species caught by accident. But despite these challenges, Moore’s tale is an optimistic one. He shows us how technologies for ropeless fishing and the acoustic tracking of whale migrations make a dramatic difference. And he looks ahead with hope as our growing understanding of these extraordinary creatures fuels an ever-stronger drive for change. For more information on Moore’s book and research, please visit his webpage at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Download or read book International Whaling Commission s Deletion of Native Exemption for the Subsistence Harvest of Bowhead Whales written by United States. National Marine Fisheries Service and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Northern Right Whale written by United States. National Marine Fisheries Service and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Whales and Porpoise written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A History of the American Whale Fishery written by Walter Sheldon Tower and published by . This book was released on 1907 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Whale Fishery written by United States. Congress. House. Merchant Marine and Fisheries and published by . This book was released on 1939 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: